Jealousy
by redvelvetcupcakes
Summary: Bobby's jealousy sets off a chain of events in which none of the X-Men escaped unscathed.
1. Chapter 1

**Bobby + jealousy+ cure gun this story**

**Don't own X-Men, don't own Shawn Ashmore, Hugh Jackman or Anna Paquin…yet**

**Relationships- Rogue/Logan**

**Briefly**

**Storm/Colossus**

**Kitty/Jubilee- Come on! Why **_**not**_

* * *

_I could make you happy,_

_If you weren't already_

_I could do a lot of things_

_And I do…_

_So fuck you_

_And your untouchable face_

_Fuck you_

_For existing in the first place_

_And who am I?_

_That I should be vying for your touch_

_I said who am I?_

_Bet you can't even tell me that much_

_Untouchable Face- Ani DiFranco_

* * *

_­­­­­­­­_She was asleep.

The knowledge filled him with cold fury.

She was asleep.

He couldn't remember his last unbroken night of slumber and

_She was asleep!_

She murmured in her slumber and rolled over, the covers slid against her, revealing her body, her gorgeous untouchable body.

He clenched his fists together and pounded them silently against his forehead,

She was asleep!

Too much anger flowed through his veins; he jumped up from the desk seat and marched to her wardrobe, too loudly. She began to stir, drawing up the covers for warmth.

He ran through her clothes, ripping down the ones in his way. A shoe fell out and he kicked it back in, catching his foot on fabric. He looked down, figures she hadn't bothered to put it away, she'd only worn it hours before anyhow.

It felt soft in his hands, the black satin contrasting with his white skin,

"Bobby?" the husky voice played in his ear, picking up the dressing gown he turned back to Rogue. She rubbed her eyes and stretched luxuriously,

"Hey" he greeted padding softly across the room,

"What're ya doing in my room?" she inquired rolling onto her back, fighting sleep.

"I'm allowed aren't I?" he challenged bending over her, God she was beautiful, unable to resist he bent down breathing in her musky scent, he leaned in to kiss her but she turned her head away and held up a hand to stop him.

"My powers" she excused,

"Don't worry about them" he soothed handing her the dressing gown,

"What?" obediently she slipped from the covers and wrapped the gown about her tying the cord, "What d'ya mean?"

He moved until he was behind her, then slowly reached into his pocket,

And pulled out the gun.

She gasped as she felt the cold metal,

"Bobby!" she cried trying to spin around to face him, but he already held her down. It wasn't difficult, each X-Men had studied the strengths and weaknesses of their members and learnt their techniques, they hadn't really allowed room for the thought they might one day be facing each other.

"Shush" he pressed the gun into her back, watching with fascination as she flinched. "You want to be very quiet"

She nodded resentfully; he knew her wild spirit was in revolt at being told what to do by an equal. She had a hard enough time taking orders from superiors.

Keeping minimal distance between them, Bobby maneuvered Rogue from her bedroom, it was early yet none of the students liked to rise before six thirty.

He heard the majestic sound of wings-

_Except those goddamn ones that have to go for the early morning flights to avoid media_.

Warren aka Angel trotted down the same stairs Bobby was planning to use, "Morning" he panted sweating profusely, his wings quivering with excitement

Rogue made a sound in her throat; Bobby rammed the gun harder into her back.

Angel nodded repeating his greeting and kept moving.

Bobby sighed with relief and nudged Rogue to start moving again.

* * *

Angel stood in the corridor behind the curtains, studying the weapon from every angle, wanting to be absolutely sure.

Then he high tailed it downstairs looking for help. He heard voices, rough and deep and another, heavy German.

Logan and Kurt

"Logan!" Angel shouted all but flying into the living room

"What's the matter wings lost your halo?"

"No Bobby, Bobby Drake, I just saw him heading up to the roof with a loaded cure gun"

"The cure! What'd Popsicle want the cure for?"

"It wasn't for him" Angel gasped "He had Rogue with him. I think he was gonna…"

He didn't have the chance to finish, Logan dropped what he was doing and ran across the room leaping up the stairs, Angel and Nightcrawler followed him as best as they could. "Angel get the children outta bed and the early risers inside, get them all into the living room, tell them they're not to move until I say so. Nightcrawler tell Storm what's happened"

"Let me come with you" Nightcrawler offered, Logan shook his head

"No I don't want any of the X-Men up there; we don't know how many bullets Bobby has in that gun. He could take out half of us before we would be able to stop him"

Angel and Nightcrawler left him, running to their separate tasks. He flew to the stairs leading to the roof and stopped, his senses were kicking in.

"_Bobby please, this is crazy"_

"_I said shut up!"_

"_Bobby you're hurting me"_

That was all Logan needed to hear, throwing open the door he leapt up onto the pebbled roof as Bobby threw Rogue down to the ground. She yelped at the jarring feeling and sensed him a moment before Bobby did; her eyes flew to him with an overwhelming sense of relief and confusion.

Then Bobby saw him, needless to say his reaction was quite the same as Rogue's.

"You!" he whispered disgustedly, pointing the gun to Logan, Rogue lay still afraid to startle Bobby.

"Look Iceman" Logan held up his hands to him, Bobby flipped the safety off the gun, "I swear to God I will shoot you," he screamed,

"And these are Adamantium laced tranquilizers Wolverine. The one thing your claws can't destroy, think you could handle it bub. Think you could handle being mortal like the rest of us? With your God complex going on!"

Logan swallowed and knew Bobby had him. Logan wasn't a coward, but he wasn't an idiot either. For a moment he saw his claws coming out between his knuckles, the process of having the Adamantium laced to his skeleton has cost him significant bone marrow, with his healing factor alone sustaining him. It also healed the gashes he made every time he extended them and produced the red and white cells with the needed efficiency to sustain his violent lifestyle.

If Bobby shot him with the cure he's days would be numbered with single digits.

"Bobby" Rogue's voice was barely above a whisper, but in the windy day it carried to Wolverine easily, "Let Logan alone, he's not a part of this"

"Yes he is" Bobby screamed, "he's a bigger part of this then _I_ am!"

With the gun still aimed at Logan Bobby turned his head to Rogue,

"He's a bigger part of _you _then I am" tears sprung to the younger boys eyes and Wolverine realized that Bobby Drake may have snapped.

"Do you have any idea what it's like Rogue to have the person you love most in the world preoccupied with another man? To know every time she has a problem that she goes to another man for help, for comfort, for affection?"

Logan was vaguely aware that Storm had got Kitty to plug into his communicator and that the rest of the X-Men were in the corridor listening to the conversation.

"Bobby" Rogue tried, shifting slightly on the gravel, but Bobby shook his head. "No! Not anymore, you and I were so happy when we started dating. And then he came back!" The gun shook in Bobby's hand and for a moment Logan feared he's fire it, "And then you ran straight to his arms, when you were afraid to get close to me you were happy enough to risk contact with him, even after he stabbed you through the chest"

Logan opened his mouth to interrupt on that particular point but Bobby slipped his finger to the trigger, "You and Wolverine are the stars of the X-Men Rogue, you two are the real freaks and yet you two are the stars of the show while I have to linger in the shadows, hoping you'll occasionally take your eyes of him long enough to spare me a glance. Do you have any idea what it's like to see that your girlfriend is the only one in the mansion that isn't afraid of the Wolverine and the only one he trusts and cares for completely?"

Rogue slipped slightly on her arm, stunned. She met Logan's eyes around Bobby's legs, he felt as shocked as she looked.

When had this happened? How had this happened? How had they become so close and dependant on each other without realizing it?

"Stop it!" Bobby screamed seeing the look they shared, "Stop looking at each other" Logan knew that if he delayed any longer, Bobby might shoot them both. He started forward but Rogue had come to the same conclusion and leapt to her feet, causing Bobby to panic.

And shoot Rogue.

"NO" Logan shouted skidding to a halt. Looking in horror as Rogue crumpled over and drew the tranquilizer from her stomach. "No" she whispered devastated, falling to the ground. Not thinking Logan tried to reach her but Bobby held the gun to him. "No" he screamed, "This is your fault, why couldn't you have left us alone? Why couldn't you have left her for me?"

Only the sound of Storm's voice in Logan's communicator begging him not to fly off the handle prevented him from getting the claws out and going at Bobby and to hell with the consequences. That and Rogue on the ground took up his attention.

* * *

She was stirring now, slowly trying not to aggravate the pain in her stomach. She took deep breaths looking around her as if she was seeing everything for the first time. She tapped her head gently and Logan felt a rush of sympathy when he realized the voices had gone silent. Rogue had confided in him one night that when she absorbed the lives of others she absorbed their psyches as well. Her mind was no longer exclusively hers, Magneto and Wolverine had taken up primary residence followed by Colossus, the occasional Pyro, Iceman and Cody. What amazed Logan was that not only was she able to have her every thought dissected and judged by two adult men but that, as she explained, they never shut up. They spent the day commenting on every little thing and then when she lay down to sleep at night they still kept talking! Normally she was able to socialize with others and hold conversations with the two men at the same time, but when they were really making a ruckus it would result in one hell of a headache for her, he eventually realized that those moments when she went silent and seemed distracted was when she was forced to communicate solely with the psyches in her head to keep her sanity. He had grown concerned with this and had spoken to Dr McCoy hoping to find some way to control the voices but Marie had steadfastly refused, she enjoyed the conversations she had with them, she enjoyed the advice they gave and the ability to speak the multitude of languages they brought to her. She had grown to understand and forgive Magneto and to love the Wolverine even when Logan himself feared him.

Now they had gone and she truly was more alone then she had ever been in her life. Logan saw her watching Bobby and knew then that she would kill him in the most painful way possible.

And he wouldn't do a flamin' thing to stop her.

She got to her knees and reached tentatively for Bobby's hand. He gave her a quick glance then stopped and truly looked into eyes, lowering the gun and forgetting the rest of the world. Logan didn't blame him, Rogue could really stop a man in his tracks when she wanted to. She took his hand in hers and brushed her soft cheek against it closing her eyes and sighing contently, the gun fell to the ground. Bobby lifted her to her feet, the tears coming thick and fast from his eyes with Storm whispering in Logan's ear not to roll his. She drew him to her and kissed him so softly on the mouth that he barely felt it, then deepened the kiss passionately. Holding her tightly in his arms he didn't see her open her eyes, didn't see her beckon Logan forward.

He didn't realize what was happening until Logan, using the Adamantium in his skeletal structure, knocked him out cold.

As Bobby slowly went down on his knees, he met Rogue's eyes one last time and saw cold fury and passionate hatred.

Time froze for just one second as Logan and Rogue stood over the body of one who had once been a friend, lover and comrade, one they had both trusted and who had betrayed his own team and left one of them defenseless against the enemy.

Logan looked up to Rogue and found her lip trembling and her eyes watering. He stepped over Bobby's body and gathered her into his arms as he had always done before and would always do.

"I wanted to be able to touch people," Marie whispered into his shirt,

"But not like this. It shoulda been my choice"

"Shush" Logan kissed her hair, "Come on" he wrapped an arm about her waist and led her off the roof. The X-men were huddled around the communicator; they jumped and spun to Logan and Marie. And he had no doubt in his mind that they would be drawing their own conclusions from this.

"Popsicle's still up there, out cold" Logan growled to Storm, she nodded and cast a concerned glance to Rogue. Rogue ignored her, keeping her eyes on the ground. Dr McCoy moved towards them, Logan took her arm and handed her to the blue giant who was looking amazingly paternal. She started and looked back at Logan alarmed, he nodded to her comfortingly. She allowed herself to be led away, down to the med centre, leaving Logan standing with the nervous X-Men, the moment Rogue was out of sight the Wolverine grew ominous and silent in a way that could clear the worst roughhouse anywhere. Storm took a deep breath and laid a hand on Logan's arm,

"Bobby?" she asked tentatively,

"If he's still here by the time Rogue and I leave the med centre I'll kill him myself"

Storm let him go, following Dr McCoy and Rogue. She entered her office at a dead run and throwing around papers managed to fill the necessary forms. If only one thing came out of this, it was the knowledge that Bobby Drake needed psychological help that what had happened today wasn't the action of one who was sane. She scribbled out a reference and signed Dr McCoy's signature across the page. She could do it perfectly now, just as he could forge hers easily, they relied on each other to trust and support them in any situation. Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number, she had to tell herself she was doing the right thing, she had to protect her children- and despite what had happened Rogue still counted as one.

* * *

Logan watched as Marie took Dr McCoy's giant hand in hers, playing with his manicured nails with the innocence of any child. He smirked meeting Dr McCoy's affectionate gaze, Marie had been quick to take advantage of her ability to touch and ever since she had been lain onto the bed had been unnecessarily caressing which ever one of them was closest to her at the time. Logan couldn't help it if that just happened to be him. Sensing the vibes that he himself had been party to many a time with many a woman, Dr McCoy made his excuse to leave the room. Neither of them was paying him the slightest bit of attention- so he couldn't resist announcing that he was considering world domination and dying his fur bright pink as well. He left the room chuckling at Logan dropping dead from shock when he realized later what he had said.

Groaning slightly Marie sat up swinging her legs over the side, she swayed slightly and Logan held an arm across her back to keep her from falling. She leaned against him gratefully, breathing softly.

"So what happens now?" she asked him quietly almost afraid of the answer. "Will I be allowed to stay here? I have nowhere else to go"

He clung to her fiercely protective, "Don't worry bout that darlin' I'm not going to let anything happen to ya, ever again"

Rogue smiled and raised her head reveling in the warmth of his skin. Smiling he lowered his head.

And kissed her lovingly.

* * *

A/N- Okay someone saved a favorite Star Wars story to my name so someone's hacking in to my name. Why am I bitching about it here you ask? Because I can. So hope you enjoyed it will be following with chapters soon. 


	2. Chapter 2

_Why was it you? __I don't understand __And nothing shows me why…_

_Things happen and no one knows why  
if I'd have raised this moment in time…  
if I'd known I would have said goodbye…_

_I kept waiting all along  
and you will always stay in my heart  
and any minute that passes by  
I wont let the memory fade away  
You were always there even though it seems your far away  
I'm missing you more than words  
I'm missing you more everyday  
where's the you in my life  
where's the song in my heart  
where's the peace of my mind  
and the strength for me to carry on  
and strength for me to carry on- _

_Always there Kate Alexis_

* * *

_She gasped as the cool morning air hit her; Goosebumps started at her wrists and flew up her arms. She wanted to rub her skin, to get some circulation going underneath the satin dressing gown that was her only protection. She tried moving her arms but her captor held her tighter, _

"_I'm cold" she complained, hoping to elicit some sympathy, regretting it a moment later when, after kicking the door to the stairwell closed, he rubbed himself up against her back. He had about as much body heat as a corpse, she shuddered and he snarled, "Keep going," he demanded, pressing the metal against her again, drawing a deep breath she looked around her. Before her was a widow's walkway, with pebbled surface it served as a landing area for those capable of flight. For a moment she saw herself being thrown from the small space to the ground below, she shook with fear, she had heard that when people fell they died before they hit the ground._

_She didn't want to test that theory._

_Three paces forward and she stopped again, "Keep going," he repeated jabbing the gun into her back and hitting a nerve, she winced in pain._

"_There's nowhere to go," she pointed out, gesturing with her hand; "Another step and we'll be treading air! Unless the ability to fly came with your traitor's package"_

Wait…I didn't say that!

_He dealt her a blow against the jaw; she staggered falling to the ground, her neck aching, _

"_Logic Rogue, logic. I'm holding a fucking gun, is teasing me really the smartest move?"_

_Rolling to her side she put her finger to her lip and felt blood,_

"'_bout as smar' as datin' ya in t' first place y'fool"_

My accent hasn't been that strong in years!

_The sound of the safety being flicked off echoed in her ears, she looked to the door, it was still locked, she wondered how they had managed to get through the halls undetected, nobody had even seen them._

That's not true. Angel saw us!

_She was alone._

No, Logan came for me.

_If nobody had found them by now, they were never going to._

Logan reached the roof only seconds after we did!

"_You don't have to worry you know" he held the gun up, watching with awe as the weak morning sunlight glinted off the handle, "I'll love you after this"_

Logan, where are you?

"_I'll always be there for you"_

Logan, please!

"_I'll love you, Rogue…Marie, I'll love you when…"_

Logan!

"_When you're human, when you're weak and need my protection" his voice had changed, deepened, coarsened. Frightened she looked up. And saw Bobby gone, replaced by…_

"_Logan!"_

_She screamed as the gun fired._

The scream continued from her dream to reality as she awoke, sitting up, clutching her hands into fists, unable to breathe. The echo from the gunfire was still in her ears reverberating in her mind.

Her typically quiet mind.

Calming down, recognizing her bedroom she took a few shallow breaths to steady herself and hugged her knees to her chest, burying her face in her doona.

Her typically _quiet_ mind.

As always, she started a morning ritual of mourning for her silenced friends.

Magneto, Wolverine, Pyro, Iceman, Cody

Cunning, Courage, Craftiness, Compassion, Camaraderie

Everyday she used another letter in the alphabet to remember the values they had given her.

And to keep track of the days it had been since she had lost them.

A, B, C

Three days.

Three days since her mind had been rid of the never-ending stream of thoughts, feelings, memories and opinions of the men who had ruled her life from their kingdom of her subconscious. Who had intruded into her conscious and altered it whenever they had wished. Who had driven her to migraines and insomnia.

Whom she had occasionally damned to hell.

But had never meant it.

She missed them so much. She didn't know how to cope with the silence of a typical mind and a typical life.

Of a human mind and a human life.

Three days ago, Bobby Drake had made a decision that should have been hers alone.

He had decided to 'cure' her.

Inject her with the mutant suppressant and rid her of her inability to touch.

He had done this as she stood helpless caught between a gun and a three storey plunge.

As Logan had been trapped on the other side of him, terrified to interfere should he cause Drake to panic and shoot her,

Which he had done anyway.

Now she lived as a human in a building meant to house mutants, weakened and considered useless she walked among them, half the person she had once been. Avoided by her peers, lost to her friends only one person was able to reach her any more.

Logan.

Since her curing, he had shadowed her every move, when she emerged from her room in the morning he was there to take her to breakfast. When she went to assist Storm or Piotr with their classes, he walked her there and was there to escort her from them. He was always near by, even when she didn't realize it, when she was hidden in the gardens he stood only meters away. Waiting patiently for her to beckon him to her side for the comfort she surely needed. She hadn't spoken of what had happened but she knew that she was watched constantly by the concerned trio of Storm, Dr McCoy and of course Logan. They were waiting for her to break down, to cry or rage or scream. They were waiting for some sign that she was recovering from the shock of what had happened. But she already had. The anger, hatred and grief had passed.

Now she just felt lonely.

* * *

_Just have a little patience…_

_I'm feeling you frustration_

_Any minute all the pain will stop…_

_Don't be too hard on my emotions_

_Cause I need time_

_My heart is numb has no feeling_

_So while I'm still healing_

_Just try and have a little patience_

_I really want to start over again_

_I know you wanna be my salvation_

_The one I can always depend_

_Patience- Take that_

"Logan!"

The whisper reached across the twenty or so meters, up the stairs where its recipient stopped and turned to its dispatcher impatiently. In the foyer of the great mansion stood Storm and Dr McCoy, side by side, their positions complementing each other. He rolled his eyes, knowing they couldn't see the action,

"What?" he clattered down the stairs, not bothering to smother his movements, only a trained operative or someone attuned to him, could have been able to hear them,

Storm wrung her hands, a sure sign she was nervous, and a strangely human movement for the beautiful goddess, something she had copied from watching the children, studying their behavior since adolescence and mimicking their mannerisms to try to blend into the crowd. It was the result of years of isolation that she couldn't realize that no matter what she tried, she just didn't fit in, the movements were either too few in between or to many at once, it was something Rogue struggled with as well.

Not Rogue, he mentally corrected, Marie. She _was_ human now.

And was most likely the topic of the conversation he was about to have with Storm.

Looking to Dr McCoy for help, Storm cleared her throat,

"How much longer do you want us to be looking out for Marie, Logan?" she asked, going straight to the point, "Hank and I have other commitments and we can't keep…"

"Then don't" he offered sharply, "I wont have you making her a burden, she doesn't need that"

Another look and Dr McCoy stepped forward, "Perhaps Logan you should lessen your watch as well"

Before he had even finished that sentence, Logan was shaking his head, "No"

"Logan, it's hard enough for the girl to have been rid of her powers but to have to endure being followed all day, not trusted to be alone for a minute. Not even allowed to leave the grounds"

Only the batter of Logan's eyelid revealed his anger at being caught out. Having worried that Marie would try to leave Xavier's he had arranged for his 'Wolverine's' to guard the exits.

Shortly after Alkali Lake Logan had begun training certain students who met his standards to become applicants for the X-Men. Rogue had been a given,

Colossus for his strength, courage and good heart.

Kitty for her intelligence and multiple skills.

Jubilee for her _unique_ way of thinking and eagerness to repay the X-Men.

After giving them the choice for his exclusive tutorials he gathered the students together in Danger Room sessions organized around their various activities, teaching them to forget any petty rivalries or other complications and simply fight as a group. The other students had dubbed them the Wolverine's and the name had stuck. They followed his orders without question, well bar Rogue who would disobey him in an instant if she thought her way would work better, (it often did) and right now, their orders were to keep watch on the exits of the grounds, to deter Marie if she looked to be trying to leave.

"I'm looking out for her," he argued looking Dr McCoy in the eye, which for him meant looking _up_,

"Life is hard enough for mutants or humans, but a _cured, _it's dangerous for her to be anywhere else"

"It's not healthy for her to be locked up in here!" Dr McCoy argued, "I'm not saying we should give her a bag and throw her into the street, but perhaps some liberties, allow her to walk without knowing you're right behind her, let her find her friends again, resume her training…"

Storm interrupted on that point by clearing her throat and giving both men a pointed look that would be a topic to be discussed at a later point. Logan checked his watch,

"Christ I gotta go, I'm sure we can take this up later"

"Counting on it" Storm and Dr McCoy chimed in unison, they laughed at each other surprised, Logan gagged and rolled his eyes, climbing the stairs again, he muttered under his breath,

"Jean and Scott weren't that corny"

They waited until he disappeared around the corner, then another minute for him to be out of hearing. Turning to Hank Storm rested her head on his shoulder, exaggerating her movements,

"Reckon he was listening to any of it?" she asked as he linked an arm through hers and escorted her through the halls to her office. "Have faith in Logan Ororo, he listens to everything we say and when the time truly calls for it he will follow any order worth notice"

Storm smiled and rubbed his arm, "You sound so much like Charles sometimes Henry"

He grinned revealing his fangs, "I try"

She closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment's peace with her old friend. Confidantes since their school days they had become even closer since the death of nearly everyone they had once loved. She sighed as her pager started buzzing, slipping it from her belt, she saw the little reminder she had written herself, she had a meeting with some of the school's sponsors. Since Xavier's death, the school had begun to dwindle on resources and upon rejecting Rogue's suggestion to hack in Magneto's account and attain 'compensation'; they had been forced to take sponsors. Though having an infamous killing machine living inside the school ensured the said sponsors didn't attempt anything fishy.

"I have to go" she waved her pager as explanation. Hank nodded leaning in for a goodbye hug, she squeezed him tight, enjoying the sensation of snuggling the leonine mutant. He leaned back,

"I hate to sound like Scott…" he began, and she smirked,

"But perhaps you should take up a hobby"

She kissed his cheek and headed towards the meeting rooms,

"That was more Jean," she called over her shoulder.

* * *

Marie ran a hand through her hair and sat up on the kitchen island, juggling a glass of juice in one hand and bowl of fruit in the other. Part of Wolverine's rules, he was the only one who could have caffeine and "greasy junk" for breakfast on training days. She wasn't sure if she was even part of the Wolverine's anymore, but if she was she was willing to follow Logan's letter to the T, even if that meant throwing down a shot of blueberry and pineapple juice. She shuddered as it ran down her throat, mixing with the banana. 

A sound behind her alerted her to someone else being in the room, spinning around she raised her eyebrows as Kitty and Jubilee tripped into the room, they stopped their conversation and took in their old friend. She held their gaze for as long as possible, trying to recall some of that Ol' Southern Arrogance that had been so much of her nature beforehand.

Kitty and Jubilee had zoned in on her during her first lesson at the mansion, curious about 'the guy with the metal claws' she had been too nervous to reply but the next time she had sassed them right back and they had been a happy trio ever since, well Jubilee was friends with both of them and they acquainted themselves through her. Until three days ago when she had taken a cure bullet to the stomach and been humanized. Since then they had avoided her, as everyone else had, everyone except Logan and…

He was in the room a millisecond after the girls, and the awkwardness of the situation went up at least three notches. Something that no one in the room had ever been good at dealing with.

"Hey Mr. Logan" Jubilee grasped at straws and everyone jumped in with her,

"Hey Sparks, half-pint…" he looked up to the island, "Marie"

"Logan" to avoid having to speak she took another shot of her juice, fighting to swallow,

"So…" wide-eyed Kitty tilted her neck, taking in her favorite teacher's distant expression. They were about to enter what Jubilee had termed a 'Rogan' moment, and the awkwardness would shoot sky high, "We still on for that training session this afternoon?"

"Hmmm?" dragging his gaze from Marie he gave Kitty a complacent smile, "Sure, you all gonna be there?"

Everyone in the room knew who that question was directed at.

After a moment of silence Jubilee chose naivety, "Sure we will, come on Kitty; I need to get that new…"

Deep in conversation, they left the kitchen. Marie put her breakfast aside and let her hair fall over her eyes, shield her face as she studied her leggings and how the bunches began at her knees,

She heard the softest of sighs and suddenly two hands appeared in her vision, parting her ivory streaks and dark brown strands. Knotting his fingers in her hair, he pulled her face down and pressed his lips to her forehead, resting his head atop hers. Tilting precariously on the edge Marie gripped his shirt, concentrating on the threads, the stitching, the buttons…

"You coming to the session?" His breath stirred her hair, she nodded,

"If you'll take me"

He smirked, "Be crazy not to" he swallowed, stepping back and looking her in the eyes,

"You're a strong fighter and still a valuable asset to the team, we'd be foolish to let that go"

"Even though I'm a…"

"That doesn't change anything for me…for us" he corrected hastily, "We still need you Marie"

Other than him she wondered who was included in that 'we'

She nodded again, then turned away from him back to her breakfast, her body language speaking clearly enough, Logan turned to go stopping at the threshold,

"I'll meet you in the Training room at three," he told her the words carrying a deeper level of meaning.

"_I'll meet you…"_ he was going to let her make her own way there, no more following her around, shadowing her every step. She nodded finishing the last of her juice and he left, she tilted her head back to stop her eyes from watering. Storm and Dr McCoy had obviously misinterpreted things again, causing her more problems despite their desire to help. She had wanted the Wolverine's to stop conspiring behind her back, not Wolverine to stop looking out for her,

Now she was more alone than ever.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- Sorry if the chapters are a bit long i dont want a thousand chapters and have everyone think 'bugger it cant be bothered'

So at the moment focusing on rogue and wolverine, will get to the others soon enough.

* * *

_I could talk to you for days_

_You make me laugh one thousand ways_

_And I realize it (you for me)_

_Like I'd want it_

_I'm enchanted by your smile _

_I must admit it took a while _

_For me to see that (this was something)_

_More than (he's my friend it's nothing)_

_I hope to God you feel the way I feel _

_Cause this could be amazing_

_Something so super real_

_There's something about you_

_And you don't even know it_

_I'm telling you now that you've got me good_

_There's something about you and I cant help but show it_

_Dammit you've got me good_

_Now I'm not alone_

_With you I'm home I've got to let you know_

_You've got me good_

_Something about you- Jamelia_

* * *

Logan grunted in approval as Marie threw Jubilee to the ground and straddled her hips, locking her down, the younger girl yelped in outrage and tried to shock her attacker. Almost as if expecting this, Marie pulled back, landing on her feet and pressing a foot to Jubilee's chest, 

"An' this is where I'd kill you" she laughed, stepping back and holding out a hand. Jubilee scrambled to her feet, "Yeah right, you like _totally_ wouldn't have the guts to kill me"

Marie laughed again, "No?"

"Nope" brushing herself off, the younger girl flashed a pretty smile, "If I die then you become Kitty's best friend by default and then you'll have to kill yourself"

"Hey!" the outraged cry came from across the room where Colossus and the girl in question were on the sparring mats, the break in concentration cost Kitty dearly, seeing the opportunity the giant tin mutant grabbed the petite girl around the waist and hoisted her up into the air. She shrieked and phased through the roof, coming back down and landing on the floor just beside the sparring mat,

"Like _OW_"

"Katya, sorry" remorseful Piotr bent down to offer his hand, stumbling back when Kitty kicked him in the face.

"Ow, Katya!"

"Serves you right" Logan called to him, "Apologizing to the enemy and helping them off the floor!"

Kitty turned around, "I thought he was the enemy?"

"Well considering I could kill you both with my eyes closed and my hands behind my back, you both are"

"I think someone's getting lazy" he overheard Marie whisper to Jubilee, who smothered her laughter with her hand, "Or maybe old" Jubilee suggested,

He growled a warning to the both of them but it only caused Marie to break into laughter, she stumbled and without hesitation, Jubilee reached out and caught her.

It took a moment for her to realize why everyone in the room was watching, then she flushed white and looked down to see her hands touching Marie's arm.

Her bare arm.

But nothing happened.

Looking up the younger girl smiled at her friend, "Does this mean I like _finally _get to give you a make-over?"

Marie giggled, "You know I hate your style chica"

"Well I cant make you as beautiful as me obviously," she rolled her eyes, "Nobody could, but like I dunno some blush, maybe a little eyeliner…"

"_Hey did you see the tv show the kids were watching last night?"_

"_Iron Giant! Even if I hadn't I would have heard about it this morning"_

Logan tore his gaze away from Marie and Jubilee to find Piotr and Kitty talking shop, he rolled his eyes; training was over for the day.

"Right see you all next week, same time" he said in dismissal, all talk immediately ceased and he found them staring at him in shock. "What?"

"You're giving us an entire week break?" Marie mused speaking slowly, cautiously,

"Mystique, what have you done with Logan?"

Piotr chuckled and the girls sniggered at the joke, even Logan found himself grinning.

"Well I'm happy to book you guys every night for the next mont…"

Piotr, Kitty and Jubilee nearly knocked down the door in their eagerness to escape, he heard Jubilee's terrified shouts echo in the metal encased hallway. Grinning he looked to Marie who lingered watching the holographic display set up against the training wall, it showed a beautiful warm autumn day, set in a park with children-both human and mutant-playing in perfect harmony. There were several such displays in the controls, they were meant as encouragement, inspiration for the trainees, reminders of all they fought for. The Wolverine's had a roster for who chose the display each session- and the music too. Marie's day had come up and as usual, the autumn picture went hand in hand with a Nickelback mix CD, the tamest music she owned. Picking up the mobile CD player he went over to her, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a small smile playing on her lips, matching it he held up the machine as the song 'If everyone cared' came on.

"Time to put me outta my misery darlin'"

She smirked, "Sure, give me a minute to grab a gun and I'll meet you in the bathroom"

"Press the damn button"

She giggled, "At least it's not Jubes day again, Paris Hilton is a better whore than she is a singer"

Nevertheless she took the CD out of the player and sent it sailing through the air to where her towel and drink bottle sat. She looked back to the display, "This is my favorite picture," she said,

"I know," putting the player down, he folded his arms over his chest, "Why is that?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I guess it convinces me that what we're doing is real and not just about mutants…" she broke off; turning to Logan she rested a hand on his forearm,

"Thanks for not kicking me out of training Logan" she smiled, squeezing his arm affectionately.

He rested his hand atop hers, "Anytime"

She looked back to the display as the children lined up to take turns going down the slide, to the side three human teens stood watching them, laughing happily. Marie's smile faltered,

"I'm one of them now" she realized, gesturing to them with a nod of her head, "I'm normal now"

"What's normal anyway" Logan tried to revive the peaceful moment of only seconds before, her hand still lingered on his and though the air in the room was cold he felt warm where her skin touched his.

They hadn't really spoken much over the last three days, not even to clarify the kiss they had shared in the med centre. Or the kiss he had given her this morning, though both could be construed as friendly, if the construer had an extremely broad definition of the term, he hadn't been allowing himself to think about such things. He frowned and blinked, Marie was speaking again,

"It's just, I'm so used to being different and now…" she shook her head depreciatingly,

"I'm just like everyone else, nothing special"

"That's not true" Logan argued seeing her close to tears, he broke her hold and tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her head back till her eyes met his,

"You're not like _any_one else. Darlin', you've never been afraid of me. You're the only person living that can say that!"

Her eyes widened and her breathing quickened, reaching up as he lowered his head, she pressed her lips against his allowing him to brush his lips against hers in a soft, tender kiss.

When she pressed her hands to his chest and gently broke the kiss, sinking back to her feet, she licked her lips and relaxed her head on his shoulder. He rested his cheek on her head, breathing in her scent of magnolias and the tiniest hint of musk,

"So…" she murmured, pattering her fingers against his collarbone in a random pattern, he nuzzled his nose in her hair, "So?"

She smiled and sighed deeply, "I don't know,"

He released his hands from her hair and wrapped them around her waist,

"You wanna go out for dinner tonight, hit that bar we like?"

She stepped back and looked up at him eyes wide with surprise and delight, "You mean like a date?"

He scowled, "Yes like that"

She grinned, "Say it"

"No"

She laughed, "Coward" kissing him on the cheek, "Eight?"

"I'll stop by your room"

_Moments earlier_

"Jubilee" a voice hissed behind her, Jubes gasped as she was yanked back from the doorway,

"Like hey!" she cried, shaking off Kitty's hand, "What's the deal?"

"Uh, you were like totally perving on Rogue and Mr. Logan, ewww"

Jubilee faked anger, "I like totally wasn't, I just wanted to invite her to go shopping with us. You know she could probably use a distraction- or some new shoes, I've been trying to get her into something that doesn't hit the knee"

"Yeah well I don't think she wants to be disturbed right now"

Jubilee looked over her shoulder and nearly shrieked as she saw the girl in question reach up to kiss their teacher, "Like ohmigod!"

"Shush" Kitty hissed grabbing her arm and dragging her down the hall, "You want Mr. Logan to hear you?"

Jubilee giggled at the prospect of impending death, "Right cause that's like the most important thing right now, what Mr. Logan wants to do to _me_!"

"Ewww" Kitty cried angrily, "I can't believe you find this funny Jubes!"

Jubilee grinned as they reached the elevator and hit the button, "Funny…not so much…interesting _definitely_"

"Its sick if you ask me" Kitty scowled, crossing her arms and tapping her foot as she waited impatiently for the elevator to open, "He's got like over a decade on her, like nearly two"

"Age is just a number" Jubilee retorted, tilting her head thoughtfully, "Hey didn't someone famous say that?"

"Yeah probably Michel Jackson" Kitty muttered, blinking as the chime sounded and the doors opened, she stepped in and pressed the third button that led to the second storey, where their bedroom was situated. Jubilee gasped, "Mr. Logan is not a pedophile! Marie is like totally eighteen, she'll even be nineteen in a few months!"

"Wow and that's still like…"

Both girls fell quiet as they spread their fingers, trying to count between the two of them just how many years difference between the two former friends. Just as Jubilee was about to pull off her shoes and use her toes, Kitty remembered that she had her mobile on her and whipped out the graphic calculator function she'd had Doug Ramsey install. Amazing that the girl could place into context nearly any passage from the Torah, was only a short way from converting lead into gold but simple maths confounded her.

"Right assuming Mr. Logan is thirty-six…"

"That's what his id says…"

"And using Rogue's _real_ age…"

"How she got a fake id is beyond me…"

"That makes it eighteen years!"

A chime sounded and the elevator opened with both girls stepping off, giving Warren a smile as he passed them in the hallway- and pretending not to notice the three-in-one telepathic sisters.

"So," Jubilee tried, "It's not _that_…"

"Eighteen years Jubes!" Kitty cried out, dodging around various students, "That's almost as bad as the fact that it's only been three days since Bobby was carted off to…god knows where!"

Jubilee huffed and stalked ahead, pushing open the door to their room and taking out her hair tie,

"So that's what this is about"

"Three days!" Kitty repeated, kicking off her trainers and grabbing her towel off the floor,

"Yeah" Jubilee retorted before realizing she had nothing to say, "Well…"

"You didn't hear Bobby up on the roof Jubes" Kitty pulled off her top and stood there in bra and panties, Jubilee following suit, struggling with her tight t-shirt, "He loved Rogue so much and was afraid of losing her to Mr. Logan and now look at them…"

"Yeah" Jubilee repeated, nearly dislocating her arm as she tried to wrestle from her top, "Well…"

Sighing Kitty crossed the room and tugged at the material, managing to free her friend. Panting Jubilee looked to her, running her mind through all her soap opera knowledge,

"You can't help who you fall in love with," she announced triumphantly and Kitty scowled at the floor defeated. Happy she bounced over to the bathroom, "I'm in first"

"You are so not!" Kitty protested phasing through the wall,

"Hey!"

* * *

Marie shrieked as Jubilee burst into her room making a noise resembling gunfire, and a tumult of new clothes covering every inch of her. 

"So so so so so so so so so so so so" she took a deep breath, "What happened this morning?"

She turned away from her mirror, mascara in hand, "Chica we had training, remember?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, "I mean afterwards with you and the Wolverine, duh. I ran back to invite you to go shopping with me and Kit Kat and you two were like whispering and standing like _really_ close to each other" she flopped onto the bed, "So…what happened?"

Marie snorted and spun back to the mirror, "Oh not much…he admitted his undying love for me, I revealed that I had always loved him, he pulled me into his arms, gave me the best kiss of my life and deflowered me on the treadmill," she shrugged, paying attention to her lower lashes,

"You know, the usual"

Jubilee screamed scandalized, "You didn't?!"

Marie burst out laughing, throwing the mascara at her, "God no Jubes, get your head outta the romance novels, we _talked_ nothing exciting"

"Oh really!" Jubilee popped her bright pink gum, "Then why little miss Southern Beauty are we wearing eye shadow, eyeliner, foundation, blush and lipstick all on the same day? And might I add that instead of your usual semi-Goth dark look you are wearing light greens, bronze and red lippy that make you look _pretty_, I would say hot but I _am_ in the room"

"Chica I am running out of things to throw at you, this mirror _will_ be next"

"Are you going round with Mr. Logan?"

Marie swallowed and resisted the urge to cover her ears, "We are going out to dinner"

She had under-estimated Jubilee's excitement; she screamed and jumped up and down on the bed, her hair nearly hitting the ceiling, "I knew it, you love him" she jumped off the bed and smiling wickedly slipped up to Marie, "You _love _him, you want to _kiss_ him, you want him to go down on you and lick your…"

"Jubilee!" Marie screeched, loosing grip on her lipstick and drawing it over her teeth,

"Shit Ah hate ya" running into the bathroom she grabbed her toothbrush, Jubilee followed her in, shrugging innocently, "Deny it all you want chica but you and Mr. Logan" she shivered dramatically, her response shown in the large mirror. "Just thinking about you two gets me hot, you're like the _perfect _couple"

"We're just going out for dinner" Marie protested her mouth full of toothbrush and paste, she bent over the sink to rinse and her younger friend flounced back into the bedroom.

"Fine but answer me this" she pointed to the radio, "Nickleback is usually the tamest music you play, you like angry screaming music but methinks that is _my_ Footloose soundtrack me hears"

Marie shrugged as John Cougar Mellocamp came on, "It's a catchy movie…and I like this track"

"Uh huh, God Marie you still have _that _poster!"

Marie smirked, wiping her mouth on a hand towel; she knew the poster Jubilee was talking about. She and John had found it at the museum; it was black font on white paper very plain. And it told people how to tell if someone was mutant.

_Double-jointed- could be a mutant!_

_Understands kids- could be a mutant!_

_Knows how to program a VCR- could be a mutant!_

She and John had fallen in love with the ridiculous poster in an instant and despite several objections had adamantly refused to trash it, even going so far as to write an essay for Xavier proving its many uses in identifying mutants. "I like _that_ poster" she hit the bathroom lights and turned on the lights in her room, outside the sun was in the final stages of setting.

"Yeah well I remember Bobby hating…oh"

Marie suddenly found herself blinking back tears and studying her manicured nails defiantly,

"Oh God chica I'm sorry I'm a bitch"

"No" she swallowed, "It's fine…its just…I thought I loved Bobby and we all know how that ended. I'm a human and…he's in a straightjacket somewhere" she shrugged and hugged herself, "I dunno Jubes…I don't wanna find myself in a situation like that _ever_ again…I wanna have fun tonight"

Jubilee nodded and hurried over to hug her friend, "You will chica…and if at the end of the night you and Mr. Logan decide to…well please each other I'll be happy to hear about the details"

The knock on the door interrupted them; Marie cleared her throat and gave herself a quick check in the mirror. Jubilee ran to the door and yanked it open, "Hi Mr. Logan!" she greeted beaming.

One hand propped up against the wall, another hooked in his belt buckle, Logan glared at Jubilee,

"You're a _very_ sick girl half-pint and there are clinics in which you belong"

Marie smothered her laugh and ducked her head,

"Ah" Jubilee went beet red, "I'm gonna go"

"See ya" Kicking the door closed behind him Logan took in Marie's appearance, green patterned dress over leggings and boots. He smiled, "You look great"

She grinned, "Thanks, how'd you know what Jubes was saying? I didn't hear you come up"

He shrugged, "Didn't, I guessed"

She laughed and opened her arms as he came towards her "You're awful"

He stepped into her embrace and kissed her warmly; she moaned and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

He rubbed his hands over her back and broke the kiss, "You ready to go?"

She bit her lip smiling, "Definitely, we going on the bike?"

"If you want"

"Bike it is"

* * *

Dr McCoy was just pulling into the driveway, as he had to swerve sharply to the left to avoid a collision with the speeding motorcycle coming the other way. Logan and Marie offered waves as they roared passed, neither of them wearing the least bit of protective gear. He exhaled in frustration and continued down to the garage where Piotr sat at the entrance, sketching in a drawing pad. 

"Evening Piotr" he called stepping out of the car, Piotr nodded distractedly and leant closer to the make-shift torch he had created using flame and wax in an old beer bottle, placed disturbingly close to a canister of petrol. Rolling his eyes and dragging his hand over his face Hank marched inside, kicking off his shoes and leaving them at the back door. Safety regulations at the mansion basically meant no running with powers in action, otherwise it was all systems go for whatever the children decided was necessary- and that assumption wasn't discouraged by the Wolverine who couldn't even bring himself to wear a helmet! Receiving an armful of children as he entered the rec room he scooped one up in his arms, Ronny, "Hello" he smiled, parading him around the room, "May I put you down now?"

"Sure"

Setting him down, he looked around the room, frowning when he didn't see the familiar shock of white hair,

"I don't suppose you can tell me where Storm is?" he asked nobody in particular, the three in one Stepford Cuckoos giggled in chorus.

"Passed out" one began,

"In the meeting room" added another,

"Of course" the last one finished.

Thanking them quickly Hank hurried through the halls to the mansion meeting room. A rectangular room with a large table and ornately decorated to impress whoever entered. It contained a PA system, the only one in the school, most of the students knew which bells meant what and previously Xavier had sent telepathic announcements. Sure enough, Ororo was there, her head in her arms, sound asleep. Taking a moment to pity his overworked friend, he regretted not being able to spend more time at the school, though after Xavier's death they had sent out the call for ex-students to return and help only Kurt Wagner, a near perfect stranger, had answered. However, he could only make it after his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, that wouldn't be for another three months. The rest were all too busy or too wary of returning to a place that had now gathered so much publicity. Gently so as not to wake her, he gathered her into his arms, noting how light she was. Slipping along the back ways Hank made it to her attic loft without much fuss and more importantly without the students noticing. She murmured as he pulled back the sheets of her bed, removing her shoes before tucking her in.

"Work" she protested, her hands curling under her head,

"Sleep" he ordered, giving her a quick peck on the lips, "You've earned it"

"Earned" she repeated rolling onto her side.

Feeling much like a devoted father, Hank pulled the curtains and turned off the light, closing the door behind him. Having had a long day himself he decided to head to the kitchen for some recreational cooking, perhaps a devilish desert. Finding it surprisingly devoid of children save for Piotr, he frowned in confusion. He remembered being a student here himself, and almost being able to smell when Professors Lensherr and Xavier left the premises- he had seen it as a free pass to wreak havoc. He allowed himself a small smile as he remembered the night he had dared the younger Scott Summer's to walk through the halls naked. Incidentally that had been the night he had met Jean, who at twenty-two had considered herself above dating a mischievous seventeen year old. Many didn't believe Henry or Ororo when they recalled Scott's wayward years, Logan swore that the stick that had theoretically dwelled in Scott's renal passage had been inserted there at birth.

Piotr who was drying his hands on a tea towel leant against the sink, his powerful frame actually larger than that of the mutant ironically nicknamed Beast. Though he knew the younger mutant had to contend with the code name Colossus and the informal nick name of Iron Giant.

"Is Miss Munroe ill?" he inquired concerned, flipping the towel over his shoulder. Dr McCoy blinked at the straightforwardness of the Russian, though he knew that Piotr was extremely quiet his still shaky grasp on the English language usually meant that he didn't beat around the bush.

"No" Hank sighed, reaching into the freezer and finding a large container of ice-cream,

"However she is exhausted, understandably she is finding it difficult to live up to Xavier's legacy…"

"She's better" Piotr interrupted, "Kinder, warmer, easier with the students"

Hank nodded, "Yes well, I suppose what she needs is more assistance. Logan has neither the interest nor the aptitude for anything beyond the X-Men, Phys Ed and the occasional substitute class"

"X-Men" Piotr prompted, "We could help"

Nodding again Hank opened the ice-cream and scooped a generous amount into a bowl,

"You want to help her? I suggest you find her a hobby. Something to distract her from…"

He nearly choked when he saw the name printed on the side of the ice-cream, students usually labeling their food. Bobby Drake.

"Everything" he finished, suddenly feeling the need to escape.

* * *

The bar was only thirty minutes from the mansion and during the times, Logan was out of town it was a favorite of the students, making it a rare Sunday morning that the teachers didn't have to draw straws and drive the minivan down to the local jail to bail out a group of hung-over students. The barman Max complained that when Logan came home he lost business, but they were good friends, when Logan was there _nobody_ got rowdy or trashed the place.

Being a Wednesday night it was quiet when they got there, opening the door the smell of cigarettes and beer infiltrated their senses, arm slung about her waist Logan led Marie to the bar,

"Hey Max" he greeted, the barman looked up and smiled, then spotted Marie,

"Aw Logan you got me a birthday present"

Marie started and glanced at Logan, "He better be talking bout something else sugar!"

He laughed, "Don't worry darlin' his birthday's not for another couple of months"

Two beers were slid their way and the promise of some food on the house.

Marie reached across and took Logan's hand, squeezing it gently,

"So…how were you able to guess what Jubes was talking about?"

He smirked, "Sensitive hearing isn't always a good thing, especially when Kitty and half-pint manage to unlock the adult channels"

She grinned, "Actually that was my fault, I accidentally brushed Mr. Summers one night and sold the code to them for a fifty"

"Figured they weren't smart enough to figure it out on their own"

"You underestimate them, who do you reckon slipped the security camera into your shower head?"

"_What security camera!"_

"Oh" Marie blushed, "I'll have them remove it when we get back"

Growling Logan finished his beer just as a hideously familiar song came on over the jukebox, choking Marie jumped from her seat and looked around, "There is no way she could have snuck in here without you hearing her"

"I don't know," Logan slid from his seat, "maybe her mutation developed"

"From firework discharging to being able to hide her presence?!"

"Maybe someone else in the bar likes Paris Hilton"

Logan turned to her, "Anyway wanna dance?"

"Alright Logan as much as I love ya big guy it's time for you to piss off!"

Logan looked over Marie's shoulder to where Max stood pointing at the clock,

"Christ sorry didn't realize it was so late" he apologized handing over his wallet, Marie sighed

"It's early," she protested, both men looked at her astounded,

"The sun is coming _up_ soon beautiful" Max pointed out, Marie nodded,

"Exactly it's early"

"I'm too drunk to argue" he waved Logan's money away, "Screw it, and pay me next time"

He saw them out and locked the door behind them; stumbling Marie caught Logan's hand and followed him to the bike, which rested under a tree, wet with morning dew.

She looked around bleary eyed, she had been on her feet for most of the night, alternating between dancing with Logan and sitting in his arms, at one point they had even borrowed a deck of cards from another mutant there and played several rounds of Go Fish, Marie teaching Logan how to play the game. Now a pale light hung over the world, mist touching the empty street, muffling the sound of the leaves in the nearby willow tree. She saw a nearby park filled with equipment and spun back to Logan,

"Come on" she beckoned tripping across the street,

"Marie" Logan called concerned, following her, she laughed lightly hurrying toward the jungle gym, grabbing the rope she lifted her feet off the tanbark and slipped onto the bridge, Logan caught up,

"What are you doing?" he asked shaking his head, she rolled her eyes, "Come on you'll miss it!"

Cursing under his breath, assuming she was drunk he followed her, bending to avoid hitting the metal framework. He found her standing by the slide, she pointed to the horizon,

"I wanna see the sun come up"

He shrugged, "As long as I get to sit down"

Resting comfortably at the top of the slide he reached up and pulled her into his lap, kissing her neck lovingly. She sighed and relaxed against him, resting her arms on his.

They didn't have to wait long, staining the world a multitude of colors the sun rose slowly chasing away the night chill,

"Marie" Logan whispered in her ear, she protested snuggling against him, "Are you asleep?"

"No" she murmured, "I'm resting my eyes"

He sniggered, "Come on darlin' home time"

"Fine" she blinked and ran a hand through her hair, shifting to see him she gave him and long lingering kiss,

"Going down"

He blinked confused, a moment later she was slipping down the slide her laughter floating back up to him.


	4. Chapter 4

_There you go _

_flashing fever from your eyes _

_Hey babe, come over here and shut down tight _

_I'm not denying _

_We're flying above it all_

_Hold my hand, dont let me fall_

_You've such amazing grace_

_I've never felt this way_- Show me heaven- Laura Branigan

* * *

Marie cried out as she came into contact with a large barrier of blue fur, 

"Dam-, sorry Dr McCoy," she apologized looking up at the Seville Road attired man,

He smiled absently readjusting his glasses, "Oh that's alright Marie," he looked around and back to Ororo's office from which he had just come, "I'm sorry was there someone you were looking for?"

She shook her head, "No I was just wondering if Storm wanted something to eat, she skipped the brunch this morning, the kids were worr…"

Dr McCoy clearly wasn't listening to her, his eyes were filled with something akin to pity, beginning to worry about herself she made an excuse to get away and hurried down to the kitchen for a glass of water to keep herself occupied. The last week or so had been perfect, she and Logan had been spending all their free time together and she had been terrified something would ruin the bliss. She cried out again as she ran into someone else, where the heck was her head today?

"Not usually that upset to see me" the low voice greeted her, she stood back and smiled at Logan, "Or run into you" she returned kissing him on the cheek, he smiled and turning on his heel fell into step beside her, "So, where are we headed in such a hurry?"

"At the moment-kitchen, after that…my day is free"

"As is mine" he replied and she looked to him confused,

"Ah sugar you have to chaperone that science excursion with Dr McCoy today, remember?"

He grinned and dodged the large crowd of students heading the other way, slipping his arm around Marie's waist as he did, unaware that they were being watched. "I convinced him that there were other people better suited to helping chaperone a bunch of brats,"

"Really?" Marie snuggled into his arm, "Like who?"

He shrugged, "You know, Piotr, Kitty, pedophiles, death row inmates, psychopathic pyromaniac sociopaths, the usual"

She chuckled, "You're awful"

He swung her around against his chest, "But I'm available"

She licked her lips and looked up into his eyes, cupping a cheek in her hand, he smiled and kissed her palm, "How bout it darlin'?"

She smiled and ignored his question letting her eyes break his gaze and looked to his neck, shoulders, chest then abs, all looking like they'd been carved from stone and kissed to life by gods. Her gaze dropped further to his belt buckle and he squirmed, "Darlin'"

She looked up at him, her eyes hooded; his breathing quickened and she blushed,

"I…" she swallowed and flung her arms around his neck kissing him hard, he groaned and pulled her against him, rubbing her hips against his groin, she lost her balance and hit the wall, the kiss broke and he ducked his head to her neck, pressing his lips to her soft ivory flesh before nipping with his teeth. She went rigid but moaned at the sensation, relaxing again as he bit and sucked until he tasted blood. Blowing quickly on the bite he reclaimed her mouth and plunged his tongue into her mouth, sweeping it over hers. She gasped as his hands slid down her back, just touching…

An extra loud throat clearing startled them from their kiss, turning quickly towards the sound they saw Storm and a stranger standing at the corner of the hall, eyebrows raised. Embarrassed they quickly released each other, Logan standing behind Marie who found herself caught between the desire to sink into the floor and the desire to burst out laughing. Storm seemed to be suffering from the latter as well, she held her hands modestly clasped and looked to the well dressed, but mousy faced woman beside her,

"Ms Smithers may I introduce you to Miss D'Ancanto and Logan"

"Nice to meet you" Marie offered, extending her hand, Logan nodded to the woman, his idea of polite considering the situation. She rejected both greetings, walking straight past them, clutching her briefcase,

"Bitch" Marie muttered under her breath, causing the woman to turn and eye her disdainfully, Logan smirked resting a hand on her hip.

Waiting until he could no longer hear her footsteps, Logan raised his eyebrows to Storm in question,

"What the hell?"

Storm sniffed, "She's…um…a lawyer she wanted to see me bout…neither of you are really listening to me are you?"

They shook their heads in unison, she laughed, "Well you'll have most of the students out of your hair this afternoon, and I suggest you celebrate it"

She walked past them, a smile on her lips, "And please, no more public displays of affection in the hallway"

Marie ripped off her top and dropped it to the ground,

Logan followed suit.

He looked over his shoulder, "Sure we wont be disturbed, darlin'?"

She rolled her eyes, "If we are I promise to kill them on your behalf, besides" she ran her hand through his chest hair, marveling at the wonderful touch, "You promised me an hour of play"

He smirked, "You know that this isn't what I had in mind," nevertheless he followed her as she led him forwards, stopping when she felt her feet grow wet,

"I know, but it's the _perfect_ day for a swim"

Spinning on her heel, she ran and dived into the lake, submerging completely. She shivered as the water spiked through her and wondered if wearing her black bikini and boy shorts had been the smartest idea after their little control loss in the hallway. But Logan's eyes had jumped right out of their sockets when he'd seen them, so they couldn't be too bad, just not the best thing to calm down in.

He followed her in, apprehensive. Where Marie had grown up in the Mississippi river, becoming a strong swimmer, Logan, true to his wolf-like tendencies tried to avoid water, he could swim, he just didn't like to. His denim weighed him down as he dived under, unused to the warm water; he had grown up in Canada after all.

The water was a wonderful clear blue, opening his eyes he saw Marie ahead of him twisting and turning in the water, marveling at the gentle shafts of sunlight that penetrated through the lake's surface. Her hair danced and her ivory strands flashed in the light. Reaching her, he stretched out and gripped her waist, she looked to him a smile on her lips, several bubbles escaped from her mouth and he couldn't resist kissing her.

She returned the kiss, tangling their legs together as they rose to the surface, able to breathe he thrust his tongue into her mouth, plunging into her depths. He remembered swearing to himself that he would take things slowly with Marie, make sure she was fully… when she kicked up out of the water and rubbed her breasts against Logan's face as she lowered herself back down to kiss him, he had trouble remembering his own name. Gripping her tighter he rained kisses on her face, sucking at her ear lobe, she murmured and rested a hand against his chest, licking her lips she ran it through his hair and trailed it down to the waist of his jeans. Undoing the belt, keeping one hand around his shoulders she fumbled with the button of his jeans and lowered the zip, his erection jumped to meet her and she gasped, wrapping her small hand around it and finding that it barely fit. His hips gave a reflexive jerk, "Don't do anything you don't want to darlin'" he told her, treading the water, he wasn't sure if she heard him, she seemed mesmerized by the large, jutting manhood before her. Slowly she ran her hand up his length and down again, looking nervously to Logan for approval, he growled and kissed her nose, "Keep going"

Swallowing Marie explored his erection, pumping her hand as he guided her with little whispers in her ear, "That's right darlin', you're doing…"

With a grunt he came, his seed spilling into the water, she gasped and he kissed her roughly, his hands slipping down her back and grabbing her arse, she moaned hungrily and he, opposite what his little brain was telling him, pulled away. Despite the water around them, he could still smell her, the musk, poor thing was in heat. Looking around he spotted the cliff the kids liked to dive off and beside it a large flat rock,

"Darlin'" he whispered as she began nibbling at his neck, "See the rock just beyond the cliff?"

"Hmmm" she moaned, kissing his chin, her eyes wide, dark and liquid, "Touch me sugar, _please_"

"I'm gonna baby, trust me but first ya gotta swim over to that rock for me'

"No" she protested, rubbing against him, shaking her head and panting, "Now"

He growled, knowing that the only thing he could do to her here was right out fuck her, and that wouldn't be fair to her, her first time couldn't be a quick, unprotected shag in most likely unhygienic water. Releasing her, he jerked his head to the rock and whimpering she complied, diving under the water while he followed her. She reached the embankment and staggered, unable to walk, he climbed out and watched her realizing too late that getting him off and watching it had set the inexperienced girl on the edge of an orgasm. He scooped her up and carried her to the rock, laying her down while she pawed at him, weeping with lust,

"Please…Logan" she begged, incoherent,

"Oh, poor darlin', come here" lying down beside her he gathered her in his arms and kissed her passionately, undoing her bikini top and tossing it to the side, running his hands down her back, feeling her spine. She was grinding against him and he took her left breast into his mouth, sucking on the nipple, swirling his tongue. Laying her back against the smooth, large rock, letting her knees dangle over the edge, he pushed her large swollen breasts together and kissed them, pinching them as she arched herself against him. He felt her hand shift under his chest and saw it sliding down her stomach towards her shorts, she was aching from need and he feared that there was only one way he could relieve it, a way she wasn't ready for yet.

"Marie" he murmured, kissing her cheek, "I'm gonna go down on you now darlin' okay? Stop me if you feel uncomfortable"

She writhed against him impatiently, sliding from the rock he landed between her legs, taking her boy shorts, and sliding them down to her knees, ducking under them he pulled her to the edge and licked his lips upon seeing her beautiful womanhood. Closing his eyes and inhaling her sweet arousing scent, he leant forward and swiped his tongue across her. She cried out, not bothering to stay quiet and he didn't care. In fact, the entire school could watch them right now and he wouldn't stop. Nibbling her clit and penetrating her with his tongue, he felt his own pants become painfully tight, he dug his tongue in going further, harder and faster, her moans becoming screams as he had to hold her hips down. Suddenly her inner walls clamped down and his work was paid off as her scent spilled onto his tongue, drawing it out he licked every part of her juncture clean. Her scream echoed in his ears and faded away, he stood up and just stood there watching her as she kicked her shorts off, lying before him completely naked, flushed and swollen.

She turned her head to him and gave him a small-satisfied smile, "What're you thinkin' sugar?" she asked holding out a hand to him, seeming completely unashamed that she was naked before him. He smirked, "That I could really do with a camera right now"

She chuckled, "Go get one then I'll be happy to pose"

He shook his head, lying back down beside her, "don't think I'd be quite able to leave you at the moment darlin'"

"Good" she wiggled into his arms and planted a kiss on his shoulder; he smiled and tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her head back to capture her mouth. She moaned and nibbled at his bottom lip, "Pants"

He murmured, "What did ya say darlin'?"

"You're still wearing your jeans," she complained, tugging at them. He knew he was still wearing a barrier of denim between them, and he didn't intend to alter that condition because he knew that the instant he did the rush of sexual arousal would send him over the edge.

"Logan" she protested, tangling their legs, "I want you…inside me"

He was teetering on that edge, "Marie" he tried to think of a good excuse not to mount her right there, just one decent excuse,

"Please…" she begged, feeling the pain of desire coil in her lower region, she peppered kisses over his chest, "It's okay"

"No," Logan panted, trying his hardest to pull away, to sit up and break the sexual tension between them. However, it was as if he had lost complete control of his body, "It's not"

"I'm on the pill"

The four _loveliest_ words in the English language.

"On your back now"

The response came out in a growl many would find threatening, the fact that it was followed by a hard, passionate kiss somewhat lessened the sense of impending danger. Marie wrapped an arm about Logan's neck, using the other to prop herself up as he settled himself between her legs. She took a moment to wonder if she should be feeling nervous, she certainly felt dazed, relying on instinct when she slipped her legs up and wrapped them around his own, drawing him closer to her. His denim grazed her flushed thighs as he pulled his pants down his legs, ridding himself of them. She whimpered at the sight of his erect manhood, at all the bare skin touching hers. Barred from touch for so long, nothing, not Logan's touches or kisses had readied her for this, her limbs felt both weak and tensed. She closed her eyes, biting her lip and trying to compose herself, Logan grazed her chin with his teeth, stroking her ivory strands,

"Marie…we don't have to…"

Oh hell _NO_!

"Logan" her eyes snapped open and her voice became sharp, "We are having sex now if I have to hold you down and rape you to do it"

He chuckled, "That's my girl"

He kissed her again, sliding his tongue into her mouth; she broke for air and nuzzled her nose against his cheek,

"Logan" she pleaded, her breathing becoming shallow as desire seeped into her very being, "I…"

"I know darlin'" he felt the strain himself, knowing that if he didn't move soon he would lose control and drive into her. "Lie back down…this'll hurt"

"Don't care," she mumbled but obeying him, softly chewing her lip and trying to rid her mind of all the romance novel smut she had read.

'_Focus on Logan; he knows what he's doing'_

He positioned himself at her entrance, feeling her wet lips touching the tip of his cock,

"Darlin'" he almost warned her again, but knew it would do no good, her fingernails were digging into his back, the sheer lust…moaning he slid into her, nearly coming at the feeling of her tight womanhood blossoming before him, then pausing as he reached her barrier he murmured a quiet apology and thrust through the thin membrane. Marie gasped in pain and clutched Logan's shoulders, tears springing to her eyes. He allowed her a few seconds, using all of his reserve not to come at the feeling of her soaked core,

"You okay?"

She nodded and he lowered his head, brushing his lips against hers. Another second and the pain passed, allowing her to feel the pleasure of him inside her, she rotated her hips and drew him in further, silently giving him permission to move inside her, to thrust deeper and faster as her body responded to his. Her hands slipped from his back, their skins developing a thin sheen of sweat, scratching her nails along the rock as Logan's body moved hers she looked into his hazel eyes and felt as if she'd been hit by an optic blast. She cried out and turned her head to the left watching the tide lap the sandy bank.

_In, out, in, out, in…in…_

She tried to focus her thoughts as she reached her peak, tried to breathe, tried to…

"_Logan!_" his name was wrenched from her lips as the orgasm crashed down upon her, filling her to the very brink with ecstasy. She arched her back and snapped her head to look into his eyes, and again the intensity frightened her. Squeezing her eyes closed as he shuddered against her, she felt another climax reach her in unison with his as his seed spilled into her willing womb, marking her for his own. Reaching up she tangled her hands in his hair and forced his mouth down on hers, smothering their cries of rapture. Time froze and then rushed around them, a swirling light of existence. It was too much for Marie, she blanched and clung to Logan, struggling to breathe she ignored his concerned whisper.

She released him and lay back down on the cool rock, seeking escape from the heat of their bodies. Running her hands through her damp hair for the sheer sensation.

"Marie!" he was propped above her, withdrawing from her in a hurry and she moaned at the burning sensation that followed, and the emptiness she felt after his exit. She blinked and tried to concentrate, he was sounding alarmed now, "Darlin'?!"

"I'm fine Logan," she whispered dreamily, her eyes lazily meeting his, it was okay now, "I'm great"

He smirked, "Yeah, you are" he gathered her in his arms and rested her head on his chest,

"You're brilliant," she grinned at that,

"Not so bad yourself"

He snickered and pressed his lips to her hair, "God you smell _great_"

She giggled, "Tell me that later, _after_ I've showered"

"No point showering darlin'" he murmured smothering a yawn, "Just gonna need another one after that anyway"

"Oh?" she raised her head, "So when may I shower _Mr._ Logan?"

He growled, his hands slipping down to cup her arse, "Tomorrow morning, before breakfast, your scent is mine, I don't want any random guy being able to smell you"

She laughed, "Of all the things to get jealous of!"

He shrugged; she rested her head back on his chest, gasping a moment later as his fingers began to touch her wet curls, working towards her…

"Again?" she cried in disbelief, "We just…don't men usually need at least…"

Laughing he caught her and pinned her under him, "Not me darlin'," his lips found her stomach and bit the skin above her belly button, nibbling and sucking the flesh. She squirmed, enjoying the sensation but…

"Logan" she bit her lip, suddenly feeling all the nervousness she should have felt before. As if sensing this he pulled his head up, "Yeah darlin'?"

She trembled; she didn't want to deprive him or herself of more pleasure,

"Bed" she blurted as she found the perfect excuse, he frowned, "Come again?"

"Why don't we continue this back in bed" she licked her lips trying to sound sexy,

"Sheets, pillows, nice safe locks that stop us from being interrupted," she shrugged, "Shower, armchair…desk?"

He grinned lowering himself on her, "You have a dirty mind kid"

"Oh" she pushed him off sitting up, "You do not get to use that old nickname after deflowering me on a rock in the middle of the school grounds"

"Really, then how bout I call you…" he bent his head and whispered the word in her ear, she shrieked in horror and thumped him on the chest, he tackled her and they fell off the rock wrestling playfully until she managed to get on top and straddling him, holding his wrists down. He grinned, "Kinda like this position"

She smirked and slid off him, padding over to the water, bending down and giving him a wondrous view she scooped her hands and washed her thighs of the blood and juices, then reaching for her bathing suit- a silent message to Logan that she didn't want a repetition of their intercourse just yet. Rolling to his feet with a grace not many attributed to him he reached over and found his pants and took her hand, leading her along the path back to the mansion. "What about your belt?" she protested as they entered the shade of the forest, he shrugged, "Got plenty more, besides…" he wrapped an arm about her waist, pulling her arse against his stomach, "We can buy another one when we go shopping"

She made an astonished face, Logan never entered a mall, his items were ordered through other X-Men or from his 'buddies'.

"You…me…_shopping_…for what?"

"Body paint," he whispered against her hair, "Hand cuffs…"

She shivered, swallowing as erotic images came to her mind and his voice was deep and rumbled in her ear, making her heart samba. She had always imagined wild fantasies, courtesy of having had so many males in her head but the nervousness was there again,

"Logan" she whimpered, shaking her head, "I…I can't…"

She pulled away from him and leant on a nearby tree sinking to the ground, and burying her face in her knees. "_Marie_"

He was at her side in an instant, hands gently parting the hair that fell in front of her face, she sniffed, feeling tears push past her eyelids and drip down her cheeks,

"I'm sorry" she wept, "It's just…I was told that I would never be able to…and now I have and I'm kinda overwhelmed and…you're talking bout body paint and…yeah I wanna do that stuff but…just I need some time to…"

Her words were lost as he kissed her tenderly; they broke away after only a minute,

"I'm sorry," he said, wrapping her in an awkward embrace, "I got carried away I guess, I forgot that we've only been doing this for a week"

She chuckled, "Seems longer doesn't it?"

"A lot longer" he scooped her into his arms and set her on her feet, "A long wonderful time"

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him.


	5. Chapter 5

Baby you're all that I want

When you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe

We're in heaven

And love is all that I need

And i found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see

We're in heaven- Heaven DJ Sammy

* * *

Marie jumped as Logan reached over and slipped her hand in his, a casual enough movement, but one that had her blushing like a love struck teen,

Oh wait, she thought, I am a love struck teen.

Grinning as they made their way along the beaten track through the forest, they emerged onto the soccer field just before the lake, making a detour to pick up their shirts. Slipping them on for decency, they strolled across the grass, approaching the terrace,

"Are the kids back yet?" she asked Logan, who shook his head,

"Nah," he sniffed, "I'd say it's you, me and Ro"

"Good" she mumbled as he opened the door, he frowned,

"Why?"

"Because I feel as if I have the words, 'I just lost my virginity to Logan by the lake' written across my forehead- and that everyone will be able to tell"

"You were a virgin!"

She turned around shocked, "How the hell could you have possibly…"

He was only able to hold the face for another instant before laughing she rolled her eyes,

"You're awful, come on"

Taking his hand like a scolding mother, she led him through the empty hall, up the stairs, dodging all the clutter of shoes, games and equipment that forever littered every available space. She stopped at the top, pondering which room to go to, swallowing she moved in the direction of Logan's room, blinking as the afternoon sun shone through the windows. So she didn't see the Barbie doll stiletto until it stabbed her in the sole of her foot,

"Ah _shit_!" she swore jumping back into Logan's arms, "Dammit, fuck…fuck…_fuck_"

Logan winced in sympathy, "Those things are teeny, tiny weapons"

"They're fucking annoying" she responded darkly picking it up and throwing it at the wall, unfortunately the plastic didn't shatter or burst into flame as she had hoped, but it did alleviate her temper. Twisting her foot she found that she was bleeding, she tried putting some pressure on it but pain shot through it. "God dammit, I'm gonna kill Siryn if it's the last thing I…hey"

In one fluid movement, Logan had scooped her up into his arms, locking her arms around his neck she shook with laughter, her anger forgotten, "I feel like a damsel in distress from one of those old black and white movies"

"Want me to rescue you from a burning building?" he suggested,

"We don't have a burning building" she sighed regretfully,

"Give me five minutes and we will," he offered, "Oh" she gave him an exaggerated starry-eyed gaze,

"The things you do for me"

"Believe it darlin'"

She stretched and rested her head against his chest, suddenly feeling cheeky

"I feel like Melly from Gone with the Wind"

Logan snorted, "Yeah right, you're Scarlett more than Vivian Leigh…oh _shit_!"

"I knew it!" Marie screamed as he dropped her to the ground, "I knew you were watching the movie…you watched Gone with the wind, you watched Gone with the wind…"

She chanted running ahead of him, the pain in her foot forgotten as she reached his door him right behind her, "Oh darlin', I'm gonna…"

She stopped so suddenly that he nearly ran into her, frowning he looked over her shoulder and blinked in surprise.

"Ro?"

Storm stood by Logan's bookshelf, fingering an old book nervously. "Logan" she nodded her face blank, "Marie?"

Marie cleared her throat, "I'm gonna go…"

Logan caught her arm, "I'll stop by your room later"

It was a message with unspoken meaning; he was announcing their relationship to Storm and daring her to disapprove. The door closing behind her, Storm waited a few moments for her to be out of earshot. However, Marie still heard the opening line,

"Of course I don't disapprove Logan; in fact I just won a bet against the dearly departed Professor!"

* * *

Jubilee groaned and slumped in the seat beside Kitty,

"I like _hate_ science"

Kitty murmured in agreement, too exhausted to do anything more than moan as Tabitha sent off a racket with her popper bombs,

"I can't believe I had to do this today" she sighed, "I like totally had plans"

Jubilee frowned, "No we didn't"

"Well I still don't like being wrung into this at the last minute because Mr. Logan doesn't want to spend the day with kids"

"Oh come on" Jubilee reached into her handbag and pulled out a packet of gum, offering some to Kitty, "If he'd come there wouldn't be any kids left"

"Yeah well" They covered their ears as Siryn screamed at Artie; Dr McCoy responded by calming down the overwrought girl and hoisting Artie to the front of the bus, "I can't see that being a bad thing right now"

"Well you took one for the mansion"

Kitty frowned, "What now?"

Jubilee shrugged, "Oh come on, think about it. Mr. Logan got to spend the entire day with Rogue which means, considering they're still in the whole honeymoon first stage, that he's gonna be in a good mood when we get home, and everyone will benefit from that"

Kitty smirked, "So basically we're like _pimping_ our friend so we don't have to beg to be able to stay up like an hour later tonight"

"Kinda"

They descended into giggles, clutching each other breathless. Sighing Jubilee rested her head on Kitty's shoulder, curling against her friend, Kitty shifted and reached over to touch her hand. Waiting until the younger girl had drifted off before watching her with an unreadable expression on her face.

* * *

"It just isn't going to work out between us," Marie blurted out, pacing nervously,

"I'm sorry but…you've really done all you can for me"

_Hang on! Why am I talking to a bed?_

She had gone from Logan's room to hers to wash the blood from her foot, and quickly duck into the shower, despite his previous wishes. She donned black leggings and an old green hoodie and had been towelling her hair before looking over to her bed, nicknamed Mr Abstinence by Jubilee. Moreover, realised that she had a single bed, a bed that suited her well enough, but how could she possibly fit Logan into it? Perhaps she could request a double bed, she was eighteen now. Her cheeks burnt as she imagined that particular conversation with Storm,

"Really Marie, you need a bigger bed, I can't _imagine_ why!"

Jubilee would never let her live it down. Neither would the rest of the school.

As if she had been conjured, Jubilee burst into her room, sighing dramatically,

"I have like officially had the worst day of my life"

Her friend flopped down on the bed, Marie rubbed her hands together, an old habit from her days of glove wearing and leant against the dresser. Jubilee was younger than she was and still a virgin, but maybe she would have some good advice for her, but Marie knew she would die of embarrassment at mentioning it.

"Like, Oh my God! Kitty was like totally ready to get her claws out on me before I pointed out that at least Mr. Logan would be in a good mood tonight after spending the day alone with…OH MY GOD!" she screamed sitting up, finally putting the two facts together, "You did _it_ didn't you?"

"I didn't say a thing!" Marie protested hurrying to shut her door, terrified lest everyone hear, Jubilee's voice carried. "You totally didn't have to, you're slouching, in the like-I-just-had-a-guy-inside-me-for-the-first-time, slouch. So…" she pulled Marie down onto the bed, "So sit down and tell Auntie Jubes all about it"

Blushing Marie felt a smile creep across her face, "Well you know the old sunbathing rock just past the cliff"

"Not even on a bed" Jubes screeched, "You dirty _whore_!"

Marie gave her a withering look, "Sorry, go on"

"And well…I'm pretty sure that I…" she coughed embarrassed,

"The O-word?" Jubilee suggested and Marie nodded, "And he…the C-word"

She nodded, "So how many times did you?"

She held up two fingers, Jubilee went wide-eyed, "Seriously damn!"

"And now the most important part" she shifted until she was almost on top of her friend, "How big was he?"

Marie smiled, "I'm not sure I should…"

"Like hell you won't" Jubes smirked, "I am not above using torture to get exact…"

They jumped from the bed as Logan marched into the room, mortified Jubilee grabbed the hairbrush from the bedside table and began brushing Marie's still wet strands. "Yeah so anyway…um…Kitty did totally not enjoy today- which is understandable…"

"Half-pint" Logan interrupted savagely; he jerked his head to the door, "Out"

Keeping the brush in hand, Jubilee threw Marie a quizzical look before crossing the room, closing the door behind her. Marie bit her lip and twisted her hands, Logan didn't even seem to notice she was there, he crossed the room and leant against her desk, rubbing his hands over his face.

"Logan?" she prompted, trying to smile. Standing up she went over and brushed against him, "Are you…"

"Hmmm" he frowned seeming confused and she felt worry plague her, he shook his head.

"I…have to go out tonight," he announced, not meeting her gaze. The sunlight broke through the window and played across his features making him a look lot older than he was.

"Where?" she asked wrapping her arms about his neck, trying to position him to look at her,

"Just out" he reached up and pushed her away from him, she blinked feeling close to tears, "Well can I come with?"

He didn't even bother to answer, just headed towards the door. God was he going to a bar? Going to find another woman- a better woman, one that knew what she was doing?

"Logan!" she cried his name, causing him to turn around and see her distress,

"Is it something I've done?"

Shaking his head he pulled her into his arms, kissing her hair, "Of course not darlin', just X-Men business, I'll be back by morning"

Nodding she clung to him.

* * *

Jubilee dug her fingers into her ears and squeezed her eyes shut,

"Tell me when it's over" she begged, scrunching up on the couch,

"It's over" Kitty assured her and she opened her eyes, to see the little girl dragging the babysitters finger into her head, she screamed and reverted to her former position, "You're a bitch and I _hate_ you!"

Kitty laughed and reached for the popcorn. Storm and Logan had rushed out earlier that night, just before dinner on a formal mission, one even the rest of the X-Men couldn't go on. Storm had left instructions that Marie was in charge, unfortunately, Marie showed up at dinner looking so out of it that the kids had immediately started a food fight and she hadn't even noticed. Jubes had hurried upstairs but apparently, she wanted to be alone, neither Jubes nor Kitty had the authority to boss the kids around and Piotr had locked himself in the art rooms, so they had waited until everyone else crashed from exhaustion and then, noting the DVD and VCR player missing, had turned on the tv to find Amityville horror. Jubilee however was renowned for her inability to sit through an entire horror movie. Just as the priest started to kill himself, she shrieked and bolted from the living room, upending the popcorn, Kitty rolled onto the floor laughing as the sound of her friend pounding up the stairs reached her ears. Settling back onto the couch she tried to watch the rest of the movie but couldn't concentrate, her thoughts drifting to Jubilee upstairs. Sighing she turned off the television and meandered through the halls, the darkness not bothering her. She had grown up with friends who would sneak into horror movies; she was numb to such frights.

Slipping open their door she stepped into the warmly lit room, she laughed sympathetically seeing her friend huddled beneath her favourite heart doona. It had been her sixteenth birthday present from Kitty. Black with rich red hearts spattered over the covers, with red sheets and pillowcases to match.

"Oh Jubes I'm sorry" she called as she fetched her baby blue pyjamas from under her own pillow. She waited for a response that never came, sighing she changed and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, when she hit the lights, flooding the room in darkness; she heard the bundle that was Jubilee move. Curious she padded over to her friend's bed, sinking onto it and resting her hand where she reckoned her shoulder was,

"Jubes…Jubilee?"

Slipping her hand under the doona, she tugged it back gently, revealing her friends dark hair and Asiatic skin. She was wrapped in her yellow woollen dressing gown, curled in a ball, her mp3 on as high as it could go. She started when Kitty touched her shoulder and she rolled over,

"What?" she demanded glaring, Kitty's eyebrows rose in surprise,

"I…just wanted to make sure you're okay"

Jubilee sighed and returned to her former position Kitty swallowed,

"I'm sorry Jubes…I know you hate horror movies…I shouldn't have tricked you like that"

She heard her snuffle and lay down beside her, slipping her arms about her shoulders in comfort. "I'm sorry Jubes" she repeated, and her friend nodded,

"S'kay, I shouldn't be such a baby"

"You're not!" Kitty laughed, resting her head on her shoulder, "Lots of people hate horror movies, like Storm and…Professor Xavier used to leave the room"

Jubilee giggled and tugging an earphone from her ear handed it to Kitty, who slipped it in her ear just as Heaven by DJ Sammy came on.

_Baby you're all that I want._

_And when you're lying here in my arms_

_I'm finding it hard to believe_

_We're in heaven._

Snuggling closer together, despite the mild night. Kitty pulled up the doona around them, yawning and loosening her grip around Jubilee's neck for comfort.

She wasn't sure if Jubes was still awake. She murmured as the soundtrack for the movie Closer came on,

_Come on closer, wanna show ya_

_What I'd like to do._

_You sit back now, just relax now_

_I'll take care of you_

Kitty shifted nervously, swallowing again as Jubilee turned slightly, twisting her body just towards her friend. She hadn't said anything but lately…

She and Jubilee had shared a room since Kitty had arrived two years ago, a year older than her fourteen-year-old friend. They had quickly become inseparable even when Kitty had enjoyed a sweet romance with Piotr Nikolievitch Rasputin and Jubilee had befriended a newly arrived Rogue. They'd become almost anaesthetized to undressing in front of each other.

Until Jubilee had got that little tattoo, she and Rogue had snuck out drinking and Jubilee had winded up passed out by the fountain with a kitten slapped on her lower back. Then Kitty had found herself sneaking glances at her friend, enjoying their hugs a little too much and finding her breath quicken when they emerged sweaty from the training sessions. Now she felt her cheeks flush,

_Sweet sensations_

_Hot temptations_

_Coming over you_

Slowly she let her arms slide down to rest just above her friends budding breasts, slipping her legs closer to Jubilee's thighs. Jubilee responded by murmuring in her sleep and slipping into the embrace, warm and soft. Kitty bit her lip and threw back her head, trying to remember the passage in Leviticus about homosexuality, about how she had dated a guy, how she _liked_ guys, how Jubilee's greatest fantasy was a night involving four _guys_. Logan, Piotr, Orlando Bloom and Wentworth Miller. All those thoughts went right out the window when Jubilee rolled onto her back, her mouth parting and her warm breath tickling Kitty's skin. Taking a quick shallow breath Kitty ducked her head, and then pressed her lips to Jubilee's, a quick chaste kiss. Pulling back their breath mingled and she waited frozen for Jubilee to wake, to look at her with disgust and horror beyond anything a movie could show. When she didn't though, Kitty felt her courage returning, gently lowering her chest onto Jubilee's she licked her lips and brushed them against hers this time, dipping her tongue in and exploring her mouth.

The headphone fell from her ear, startling her and she sighed breaking the kiss, she sighed her body feeling strangely heavy while her thighs seemed to grow warm. Wrapping an arm across Jubilee's chest, she snuggled down next to her, falling asleep with her head on her shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey yeah,_

_If we cant find a way out of these problems_

_Then maybe we don't need it_

_Standing face to face_

_Enemies at war we build defenses and secret hiding places_

_Might need you to hold me tonight_

_Might need you to say its alright_

_Might need you to make the first stand_

_Cause tonight I'm finding it hard to be you're man- Hold me tonight Savage Garden_

* * *

_She gasped as the cool morning air hit her; Goosebumps started at her wrists and flew up her arms. She wanted to rub her skin, to get some circulation going underneath the satin dressing gown that was her only protection. She tried moving her arms but her captor held her tighter, _

"_I'm cold" she complained, hoping to elicit some sympathy, regretting it a moment later when, after kicking the door to the stairwell closed, he rubbed himself up against her back. He had about as much body heat as a corpse, she shuddered and he snarled, "Keep going," he demanded, pressing the metal against her again, drawing a deep breath she looked around her. Before her was a widow's walkway, with pebbled surface it served as a landing area for those capable of flight. For a moment she saw herself being thrown from the small space to the ground below, she shook with fear; she had heard that when people fell they died before they hit the ground._

_She didn't want to test that theory._

_Three paces forward and she stopped again, "Keep going," he repeated jabbing the gun into her back and hitting a nerve, she winced in pain._

"_There's nowhere to go," she pointed out, gesturing with her hand; "Another step and we'll be treading air! Unless the ability to fly came with your traitor's package"_

Wait…I didn't say that!

_He dealt her a blow against the jaw; she staggered falling to the ground, her neck aching, _

"_Logic Rogue, logic. I'm holding a fucking gun, is teasing me really the smartest move?"_

_Rolling to her side she put her finger to her lip and felt blood,_

"'_bout as smar' as datin' ya in t' first place y'fool"_

My accent hasn't been that strong in years!

_The sound of the safety being flicked off echoed in her ears, she looked to the door, it was still locked, she wondered how they had managed to get through the halls undetected, nobody had even seen them._

That's not true. Angel saw us!

_She was alone._

No, Logan came for me.

_If nobody had found them by now, they were never going to._

Logan reached the roof only seconds after we did!

"_You don't have to worry you know" he held the gun up, watching with awe as the weak morning sunlight glinted off the handle, "I'll love you after this"_

Logan, where are you?

"_I'll always be there for you"_

Logan, please!

"_I'll love you, Rogue…Marie, I'll love you when…"_

Logan!

"_When you're human, when you're weak and need my protection" his voice had changed, deepened, coarsened. Frightened she looked up. And saw Bobby gone, replaced by…_

"_Logan!"_

_She screamed as the gun fired._

* * *

"No!" Marie cried clutching the soft mattress beneath her; it took her several heavy heartbeats before she could take note of her surroundings. She was in her room, in her bed. Thin shafts of moonlight filtered through the window, casting an ethereal glow on her doona. Swallowing she buried her face in the pillow, squeezing her eyes shut. Trying to chase away the fear the dream had brought, always the same dream now. Moreover, she never understood what it meant, nor could she remember it for more than a few minutes afterwards. Stilling her own breathing, she tried to calm herself down,

Before hearing the bedroom door creaking open.

She froze, pretending to be asleep, trying to keep her breathing regular as she slipped a hand under her pillow, reaching for the small gap between the mattress and the headboard where a hunting knife lay. It seemed crazy but all the female students had weaponry stashed somewhere around their room. The fashion had come in with the Wolverine, after Mystique and then the Black Op paramilitarists had managed to infiltrate the mansion; he and the professor had agreed it would be better for all concerned if they were able to defend themselves. With the cure on the market, powers could only get you so far and the thought of one of his female students being raped had made Professor Xavier physically ill. So Marie inched her hand closer to the weapon, before she heard the intruder take a shaky breath,

"Darlin'"

She sighed loudly with relief, "Logan, God you scared me!"

Rubbing sleep from her eyes, relaxing now she pulled her hand back up and went to roll over, but Logan's hand gripped the back of her neck, forcing her down. Marie blanched, finally realizing something was up,

"Logan" she whispered as he knelt on the bed beside her, "Logan what's wrong?"

"Darlin'" he murmured again, landing on top of her, she cried out at the weight, scared, "Logan, please…" she struggled to breathe as his chest pushed her face into the pillow, turning her head she gasped for air. His free hand was pushing back the doona while his voice repeated the sentiment 'Darlin'' over and over again, becoming a mantra, she shivered as the night air touched her legs. Marie had chosen to wear singlet and underwear to bed, a choice she regretted as she felt Logan tug her panties down her body, getting them out of his way. Tears fell from her eyes,

"Logan" she whimpered as he shifted, unzipping his X-Men uniform, removing only the necessary parts. He had come back from the mission, she reasoned in her panic filled mind, and something was wrong. She dug her nails into the pillow, crying out when she felt his cock brush against her buttocks, guided by his hand. Her terror finally seemed to reach him; he stilled and lifting himself up, rolled her over onto her back to face him.

She shook violently, pressing her knees together, trying to stop her fear from paralyzing her.

"Marie" he whispered in the darkness, his voice above her head, "_look_ at me darlin'"

She choked on a sob, her hand free she brought it to her mouth,

"Oh…God, _what_ are you doing Logan? _Why_ are you doing this?"

He groaned, holding her against his chest, he sounded like a wounded animal, as if he was in pain. She felt the leather of his uniform pressing against her cheek and held back her retching as she felt a slick liquid stain her cheek, blood, she swallowed, he was talking again.

"…Marie, I know you can't understand…but I need you right now baby…please I need you"

God what happened on this mission? She wondered with horror, What's done this to him?

He was softer now, rubbing himself against her, pressing his lips to her hair, begging her. She wondered what options she had. Her room was a good distance away from those of the other students, it had originally been a sewing room, quickly converted upon her unceremonious arrival, her screaming would go unheard, and it could panic Logan. She had no idea what he would do, he was unpredictable at the best of times, and he was her _boyfriend_ he cared about her, he wouldn't hurt her.

Not deliberately.

He just wants sex, she reasoned, nothing more.

I can do this for him, she decided, It's what he wants

Taking a deep breath she nodded, "Okay…its okay Logan"

He moaned, she could see the mixture of lust and anguish scarring his face, his self-loathing at having needed to ask this of her.

"Marie, just _relax_ darlin' it'll be better for you that way"

Nodding again, she closed her eyes, tangling her hands in the sheets under her. Logan lifted himself off her, spreading her thighs and settling himself between them, she swallowed, jumping when she felt two probing fingers slip inside her, slowly moving in and out, stroking and caressing her. This was for her; she understood his anger at his need and the desire to make this good for her as well. She chewed her bottom lip lifting herself up to gain him better access, whatever fear she had felt was slowly being pushed out of her mind by the acknowledgment of the wetness soaking Logan's fingers,

God she was _enjoying_ this!

"Go…" she panted, twisting her head to the side, "Go deeper baby…yeah" she encouraged when he eagerly complied, "that's it…oh that…that feels _good_"

He repositioned his hand, touching her clit with his thumb she chuckled at the wondrous sensation, untwisting one hand from the sheet she reached out, her eyes still closed and caught Logan's wrist. Driving him harder into her, with her other hand she reached down to her thighs and slipping around Logan's thumb, joined his fingers in their administrations, clumsy and trembling.

"Marie" Logan whispered shocked by her behavior, she groaned barely coherent, her orgasm not far off, "Baby…Logan…I'm yours…I'm…I'm…Oh!"

Crying out she came, her eyes shooting open and meeting their hazel counterpart, blinding her for an instant, opening her mouth, gasping for air she withdrew their hands and pulled herself up on her elbows, shivering with aftershock. Through her half lidded eyes the world was thrown into a lust-filled haze, her legs spread, stretching the elastic on her panties.

Logan still knelt between her, his chest armor and sleeves still covering his torso while his pants and boxers lay on the floor, nothing covering his erection.

Licking her lips Marie pushed herself up, sitting in front of him, smiling she tugged at the hem of her singlet,

"Wanna see?" she teased, pushing it up over her stomach, "Wanna see what's yours baby?"

He growled roughly and she laughed, "Course you do" she answered for him

Slowly, languidly she pulled her singlet up inch-by-inch, revealing her breasts and hardened nipples. Over her head and she shook her hair free, the white streaks falling in her eyes, dropping the singlet over the side of the bed she leaned forward on her hands, smiling seductively, she tilted her head reaching up to kiss him. Shifting back onto her knees, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, stroking the hair at the back of his neck. Still seeking the warm comfort of her flesh, his need unhindered by her uncharacteristic actions, he gripped her waist pulling her closer to his erect cock.

Marie felt him wince as she bit down hard on his bottom lip, drawing blood, sucking on the wound. Her eyes tried to roll back into her head, breaking the kiss she smirked pushing on Logan's chest hard, he fell back onto the bed, still holding her waist as she knelt astride him, just below his manhood.

"Oh" Marie pouted her eyes on his weeping cock, "I think somebody needs some _relief_"

Laughing lightly again she pushed her body up, using his chest, she positioned herself over his erection,

"Now are you gonna be a good boy?" she asked as she began lowering herself onto him, stopping when she felt the tip of his cock touch her soaked opening,

"Darlin'" Logan was almost too far gone to answer, trying to thrust up, to enter her before the lust ripped his body apart as he was sure it would, but Marie's hands moved quickly, grabbing his hips and holding him down.

"You haven't answered my question baby" Marie whined, "Are you gonna be a good boy and do as I say?"

Grinding his teeth, trying to remember where he was Logan simply nodded. Fuck, she could do what she wanted but he needed her.

She giggled victoriously and then tortuously slowly gave him entrance into her wet, tight core. In unison they sighed with relief, Marie throwing back her head letting her hair cover her breasts. She slid her hands back up to his chest and dug her nails into his armor; he winced as she began to rock her hips, her nails scratching the plating continuously as they copied her motion. Logan thrust his own hips upward to meet her gripping her waist, and bruising it, he needed her to go faster but he could tell she wasn't about to comply. Lying back, he watched as she gathered her hair with one hand, scooping it up to her head, revealing her delicious breasts, she gazed down upon his with large liquid eyes, almost black with desire, slipping against his chest she used her free hand to grab his upper arm for leverage as her thrusts became deeper and harder. He felt himself nearing the same edge she was racing towards as she finally obeyed his silent command to go faster. She was moaning, flushed and glistening with sweat, she slung her hair over one shoulder and gripped his right hip,

"Come on baby" she gasped as lights began to dance before her eyes, "Make me feel it!"

Her inner muscles clenched around him as she came crying out, throwing her head back, three quick thrusts and he joined her echoing her cry with one of his own. The moon beams spattered upon them, throwing Logan's face into sharp relief but at the same time keeping Marie's in the darkness.

"How was that baby?" she murmured lovingly, sliding down onto his chest, tangling her hands in his hair, resting her head on his shoulder, "You feeling better?"

He was unable to answer, the shadow from before returning to his eyes as he was reminded of his mission, she whimpered, rubbing at the drying blood on her cheek, reaching for the doona under them she scrubbed it off.

"I'm sorry baby," she murmured yawning, exhaustion suddenly hitting her, the room swirled and she moaned as a drumbeat began against the side of her skull.

Logan didn't answer but wrapped an arm around her waist, she snuggled closer to him and her world went black.

* * *

Marie woke to the sound of some annoying bird singing right outside her window. Groaning she rolled over onto her back, wincing as a pain sprang from between her legs,

"Ah!" she tried to sit up but her legs didn't seem to be working, the urge to vomit was also rising in her to and for a moment she wondered if she was hung-over. She gently raised herself into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard, she was wrapped tightly in her sheets, tighter than she would ever tuck herself. Feeling hot and stifled she tugged the blankets off her and froze,

She was wearing her old black nightgown, nothing unusual in that…except for the fact that she had worn singlet and underwear to bed last night, underwear that appeared to be long gone from her body. Running her right hand down her stomach she felt between her legs, she winced at the soreness between her thighs.

Okay, she realized, I had sex last night. The strong reek of it in the room gave it away as well.

Shifting again, she saw the stains on her legs and last night came rushing back to her,

Logan in her room, Logan holding her down, she was agreeing…oh fuck!

She muffled her scream as she heard someone move in her room, her head shooting up she saw Logan sitting in her armchair. His eyes were focused in her direction, but even from the distance, she could tell he wasn't seeing her.

Is he upset about last night? She wondered concerned, I enjoyed it so it wasn't that bad. But maybe he feels guilty about how rough he was in the beginning.

The X-Men uniform was gone; he was back into his old wife beater and faded jeans.

"Hey"

It took her a moment to realize he had spoken, even though she saw his lips move he still seemed statuesque, frozen almost.

"Mornin' sugar" she tried a cheerful smile, opening her arms she beckoned him over,

"Kiss me"

He shook his head, "After last night you should be screaming rape"

She choked as the words left his mouth, a lightheaded feeling swept down upon her as her dream shattered.

"If I remember correctly Logan I was the one holdin' ya down"

She turned her face from him, "And I gave my permission so if anyone's t'blame…"

"I'm sorry"

He hadn't been listening to her, she rolled her eyes in frustration but when she looked back to him, his head was in his hands. "I'm so sorry Darlin' I…last night nearly killed me…I…you were my last link to the world…I needed to hold you…touch you…know you were still real…still mine"

"You did more than hold me," she murmured accepting his words regardless and attempting humor. When he didn't look up though she sighed, slipping from her bed she pushed one sore leg in front of the other, stumbling across the room she fell into his lap, kissing his neck; she realized that this was what it meant to have Logan and the Wolverine. Pleasure and pain, lust and ache, passion and perversity.

'I want this' she told herself firmly as his fingers sought her opening, still in need of comfort, 'And maybe I can help relieve him of some of his agony'

Especially considering last night had been a long call from rape. She blushed the deepest red imaginable when she remembered the things she had done, wondering what had come over her, she could barely remember what had happened, just the sliding of their bodies, her lust and her words, calling him baby over and over, since when did she call anyone baby?

She yelped and nearly fell of Logan's lap when Jubilee burst into the room, her hair still dripping wet from her morning shower,

"Oh My God, Rogue I need to speak to you like right now!"

Both of them stared at the younger girl,

"Ah…" Marie was painstakingly aware of the fact that Logan's hand rested between her legs…only inches away from her naked and still sticky thighs, "Can it wait?"

She decided to try the ESP that girls swore they shared between their sex,

_Not right now, not right now!_

It didn't work

"No I have to speak to you, like _right_ now!"

Logan's fingers were starting to stroke her curls, the bloody door was open, anyone walking down the hall would be able to…

"Half-pint" Logan snarled suddenly, "Get in the bathroom and dry your fucking hair"

It was an order, plain and simple. Poking her tongue at him, Jubilee obeyed.

"And close the door behind you!"

It slammed shut and Logan stood, Marie tumbling off his lap. Swearing under his breath he stormed across the room to where her chest of drawers lay, she watched his expression in the mirror as he pulled the drawers open and began rifling through them. On reflex, she caught what he threw at her and turned them in her hand, realizing them to be panties.

"Here" she looked up as he fetched the glass of water from her bedside table, she could barely here him over her hair dryer, dabbing it onto a handkerchief he slipped it between her legs and began washing away the remnants of the night before.

"Cant get rid of the evidence," finished he opened a window letting the fresh morning air in, "But we don't have to give it away"

Marie smiled, "Makes sense" she crossed the room and took his arm, "You're not ashamed to be with me are ya Logan?"

He smirked, wrapping an arm about her shoulders and kissing the top of her head,

"Your crazy darlin'"

She whacked him on the arm, "Thanks sugar"

"Okay times up" Jubilee bounded from the bathroom, "My time with Rogue"

Logan clearly didn't agree, he growled and Marie stepped between them,

"Logan why don't you go down and have breakfast, maybe bring some back up for me"

"Ooh see if you can get me some apple juice" Jubilee added as he headed to the door, Logan growled again,

"He'd probably gonna spit in it," Marie warned her. Jubes nodded giggling, Marie sat down on the bed and patted the spit beside her,

"So, sit down and tell Auntie Marie all about it"

"Okay" Jubes sat down beside her and took a deep breath, "_So last night when you were totally out of it well the mansion was running wild and when everyone had basically crashed Kitty and I decided we wanted to watch a movie. However the DVD and VCR player and missing, you might want to try and find those by the way and the only movie was on was Amityville Horror…_"

"But you hate horror movies" Marie interrupted, earning herself a scathing glare from Jubes, "Sorry" she apologized, "Go on"

"_Anyway I like hate horror movies and when it became like totally gory I ran upstairs and jumped into bed, bout five minutes later Kitty followed me. I was listening to my MP3 by the way, she apologized, and I forgave her. And then she climbed into bed with me to listen to my music because you know she left her own MP3 at her parents place in Deerfield and won't be getting it back until next holidays because it totally isn't worth the risk of sending it by mail_"

"Is this going somewhere?" Marie interrupted again and received a death glare from Jubes,

"Right sorry" she apologized again,

"_And then I closed my eyes and she must have thought I was asleep because she would never have done this if I was awake but she kinda cuddled me and kissed me, like tongue kiss and chest rub cuddle. So now I'm really confused…I mean I noticed for a while that she's kinda been staring at me but I was kind of hoping you could give me some advice because no one else our age or up is in a relationship and you're the only one I can go to_"

She finished and took a deep breath looking to Marie with pleading eyes and gripping her hand,

"Please Rogue"

Marie was still three sentences back, trying to get over the whole Kitty-kissed-a-girl issue. "Well" she wracked her brain, "Kitty doesn't know that you were awake?"

Jubilee shook her head, "And she didn't confront you about it this morning?"

Another no, "She wasn't up when I left, it's still not even eight you know"

"Well maybe she doesn't want you to know about it"

"Yeah" Jubes protested, "But what about me? What about my feelings?"

"Well" Marie rose an eyebrow, "How do you feel?"

Jubilee seemed shocked by that question, Marie realized that she hadn't contemplated it yet, "I don't know," she admitted, "I mean Kitty's my best friend and all…and yeah last night felt kinda _nice_…but I never pictured myself as a…you know…lesbian"

Marie shrugged, "Maybe you're not…maybe you're bisexual"

"Eeeww"

"Don't knock it when you might be it!" Marie lectured her wryly, she sighed, "Look I would love to be able to give you advice but the closest I've come to this is sex with Logan and trust me he is _all_ man" Both of them giggled, Jubes sighed and dropped her head on her friends shoulder. "I think you should talk to Kitty, figure out what you both want and go from there"

Jubilee sighed as though she was much hard done by, "Okay Auntie Rogue, but this had better work or you're getting a new roommate!"

Marie burst out laughing, "Oh yeah! Run that past Logan see how well he'll take it"


	7. Chapter 7

**AN- Sorry its taken so long to update, just finished year 12. YAY!!! Just a quick chapter to get some things going, had massive writers block.**_

* * *

_

_Will you listen to my story  
It'll just be a minute  
How can I explain  
Whatever happened here…  
How can I cause…so much pain  
When I say I'm sorry  
Will you believe me  
Listen to my story  
…  
When I say I'm sorry- Sorry- Chris Daughtry

* * *

_

Kitty had woken up to find herself in Jubes bed, without Jubes. For a moment, she wondered why she was in said bed…before last nights actions sprang to mind. She choked, sitting up as tears sprung to her eyes; she flushed red with humiliation already guessing how this situation would end. Jubilee would be disgusted, she would go running to Rogue and Rogue was hardly a friend of hers, oh sure they got along well enough when Jubilee was around, but there had been a time, around the Professor's death when Rogue had thought her competition for Bobby. Bobby might be gone but Rogue was legendary for being able to hold grudges, she still wasn't talking to Siryn for the remark the girl had made about her sounding like 'trailer trash', hell she had reduced the girl to tears but wouldn't deem to forgive her. Moreover, with a little piece of gossip like this, she could imagine the rumors now. Shuddering and resisting the urge to throw up she jumped out of bed, between Jubes and Rogue she would be a pariah by lunch. Sniffing and wiping the tears from her eyes she pandered into the bathroom turning on the shower and stripping, the warm water delayed her thoughts for a while; she allowed herself to relax and rubbed the washcloth over her body, soaping up with her favorite vanilla wash. Jubilee had already been in before her, lowering her head near her shoulder she breathed in the scent of strawberry, she had bought Jubes a bottle of it the last time they had been in town. But the mere scent of her friend reminded her of the stupidest mistake she had ever made, oh she knew the whole, 'there's nothing you can't get over' theory but she couldn't see how she would be able to get over the humiliation and rumors, resentment and exile. She remembered when Rogue had first arrived and the eventful night when they had thought she had drained Mr. Logan for the sheer sake of it, she had endured several weeks of abuse and backlash, even now years later; some students wouldn't talk to her. Maybe she could take a leaf out of her book, keep her head down and hope that years from now she could walk around and not feel as though people were talking behind her back. The rational part of her brain reasoned that perhaps she was overreacting; the best thing to do would be to head downstairs for breakfast and test the air, strike up conversation with the Stepford Cuckoos. The last word when it came to matters of gossip and popularity, you went to them for news, traded information and learnt everything about everyone- save for Rogue, she had the strongest mental walls ever, the Professor himself couldn't have breached them. If they deigned to talk to her, they didn't know anything, if they burst out laughing, she was screwed.

Crossing the room she stopped in front of the door, something inside her froze and she couldn't even move her hand to the door knob,

'Come on' she tried steeling herself, 'You're Kitty Pryde, you took on the Juggernaut!'

'Juggernaut wasn't a patronizing teenage girl though'

Crying out and throwing her hands up in the air, she pivoted with a dancers grace and stalked to their desk bending down to the left of it where her school books lay in a neat pile, to the right of it was Jubilee's mess, papers strewn everywhere, books open and lying down faced, stationary peeking out of odd places. Smiling wistfully as she settled down to the desk she committed the picture to memory, Jubes would probably move out, maybe, with the shortage of rooms, bunking with Rogue. She snorted as the image of Mr. Logan's furious face sprang to mind.

'Right' she murmured to herself, 'Might as well study my arse off'

If she became an outsider, she would only have her studies left.

* * *

Jubilee burst in with her usual gusto, Kitty froze hunched at her desk expecting a stream of abuse in high-pitched shrieks. Jubilee stopped and licked her lips unseen by her friend, wringing her hands in nervousness,

"Morning" she tried in an ultra cheerier version of her usual greeting, wracking her brain for something to say, crap she had it all in her head in the hallway!

"Um…good morning" Kitty twitched nervously in her seat, "Recovered from the horror movie yet?"

'Horror movie' Jubilee thought, 'You _kissed_ me last night and you're thinking I'm worked up from the horror movie!'

However, she smiled, "Just about, I am totally never watching another one again though!"

Three seconds of awkward silence. 'Ah to hell with it'

"I know what happened last night"

"I am so sorry," Kitty gasped at the same moment, sniffing and rubbing her eye harshly to stop the tears

"So are you lesbian or…"

"I don't know…look Jubes…I…I just acted stupid…I'm sorry"

"Are you ever gonna act stupid again?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Cause I kinda enjoyed you acting stupid"

Kitty frowned in confusion and Jubes pushed on, "Okay I…don't really understand what I'm saying here, okay I kinda do. I'm a little freaked out that you put moves on me while I was asleep, it feels intrusive that you did that. But I understand why you were afraid because even though we're mutants homosexuality is still weird, which is totally crazy because we can control the movements of the earth so stuff like that shouldn't still provoke fear and hatred. Anyway last night, I don't know what you want Kitty…but I'm beginning to know what I want…and it's to test this _thing_ with you"

Kitty froze for a moment letting Jubilee's speech sink in, slowly she rose to her feet. And then bound across the room and caught her in a fierce hug. Laughing Jubilee returned it,

"I was worried it was just a one off thing"

"I thought you were gonna reject me"

"Are we supposed to kiss?"

Kitty was startled by the last question, she pulled back looking Jubilee in the eye, she shrugged.

"Don't know, we can…if you want…but I don't wanna push you"

Jubilee nodded blushing, "I've never kissed anybody before, are we _dating_?"

Kitty pushed her tongue to her cheek as she contemplated that question, "I think we might be yeah"

"So shouldn't we kiss?"

Kitty giggled, "Well you can't beat logic"

Gently she cupped Jubilee's cheeks and angled her head brushing their lips together. Jubes giggled, and Kitty pulled back, "What's funny?" she asked nervously, Jubilee blushed,

"You're a girl" she chuckled, quivering with laughter,

Kitty nodded, "And?"

Jubes shook her head, "That's all" Bouncing forwards, she pushed her lips to Kitty's watching as the girl closed her eyes, she mimicked her. After a few seconds, she felt braver and began brushing their lips, releasing her tongue against Kitty's mouth. Obliging her Kitty parted her lips and massaged their tongues together, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, feeling her budding breasts against her. Wow, she mused, turn on.

Then she felt a vibration, at first she assumed Jubilee's mobile was going off, then she felt it reach her throat, breaking the kiss, she pulled her head back. Jubilee was giggling again,

"I'm sorry" she panted, "It's just I'm kissing a girl, this is like so totally unreal"

"Uh" throwing her hands up in the air Kitty turned away, both embarrassed and irritated, "You know what, totally no more kissing for you!"

"No way"

Kitty shrieked as Jubilee jumped her from behind, trying to get into a piggyback position, instead she knocked them both to the ground. Thankfully, Kitty phased before hitting her head on the floor and forgetting the Trig homework she had just finished, floating she flipped onto her back and playfully whacked Jubes on the forehead. Jubilee yelped and wrestled against her, tickling her on her stomach. Kitty cried with laughter, "No more, no more…" she panted, "Jubes honey stop that!"

Jubilee did stop, but quickly followed her tickling with another kiss.

A proper kiss this time, one that involved tongue and had Kitty's hands seeking permission to roam, at least until she felt Jubilee's hands snake around her back and grip her arse, she yelped and bit down on her tongue. Pulling back and putting her fingers to her tongue Kitty glared at Jubes,

"Not funny!"

Jubilee snickered, "What, worried I'm gonna pressure you into sex and get you pregnant?"

Kitty kicked her, "Ow, I thin' may tongue is bleedin'"

"Ohhk gobble wobble wee" Jubilee mocked, in full spirit Jubilation mode, Kitty glared and, still lying under her, slapped her hard on her own arse. Jubilee gasped, "Ow, pain!"

"Now you know how it feels!"

"Yeah" Jubilee murmured chastised, then lowered her mouth to Kitty's ear, "_Totally hot_!"

Kitty blushed, murmuring in agreement, all too aware of Jubilee's breasts pressed against hers, their legs tangled,

"Do it again" Jubilee begged sexily, darting her tongue across Kitty's lobe, wrapping her arms tight across her back, pressing them as close together as physically possible. Kitty was distinctly aware of a growing warmth in her groin area, "You mean this?"

She slapped Jubilee across the arse again and she moaned, "Yeah, that"

Throwing her head down she caught Kitty's mouth in hers kissing her passionately, their tongues dueling, another slap and she found herself beginning to rub herself against Kitty, the friction turning her on. Kitty murmured in her throat and slapped Jubilee again but this time her hand rested there, across the cheeks, clutching the denim hard.

Jubilee broke the kiss and cried out, "Oh yeah, that…" she drew her face away from Kitty's and became more forceful in her thrusts, rocking their bodies in disjointed rhythm. Kitty matched her efforts, gasping underneath the weight as they dry humped each other; she felt a sticky wetness soaking her panties and becoming flushed with exertion, caught Jubilee's neck biting hard on the skin near her shoulder blade. Instantly she darted her tongue out along the soft silk, soothing it. She threw back her head and cried out; she realized she was so close…

In unison their stomachs rumbled, the sound caught them by surprise, they stared at each other before realizing what it was and they laughed, "I am kinda hungry" Kitty admitted gently easing herself from Jubilee's embrace. Jubes nodded, "Yeah, we should head down to breakfast"

Then she hesitated biting her lip, "First things first, are we gonna tell people about us?"

Kitty sat up, leaning against the wall, hugging her knees, "I'm not sure I'm ready for people to know" she admitted truthfully, "I'm not ashamed to be with you Jubes but the thought of so much…"

"Yeah" Jubilee agreed, "I had a hard enough time telling Rogue"

Kitty was somewhat aware of all color leaving her face, "_What?_"

Jubilee didn't pick up on her distress, she stood and stretched, "You wanna head down now?"

Kitty was still vividly imagining her life shatter to pieces, "Um"

I feel like retching in the toilet bowl

"I'll be out in a sec"

Nodding Jubilee wandered across the room and slipped outside. Kitty moaned and hit her head against the wall, contemplating sinking through to the Earth's core.

Suddenly an ear-piercing scream reached her, causing her to jump to her feet and run for the door, nothing with a beating heart could ignore that cry of fear.

When she saw what had caused it she nearly screamed herself,

Scott Summers, the man whose tombstone stood proudly on the sweeping lawn of Xavier's, was standing in the corridor, dressed in his usual preppie clothes, hunched over with a haggard looking Ororo, he was clearly angry, he was driving his finger into his palm repeatedly, acting as though he hadn't just pulled a resurrection trick. Ororo herself looked mighty close to tears, shaking her head with her hands hanging halfway to her neck in defense. Jubilee grabbed Kitty's arm to support herself, she opened her mouth to speak but Storm intercepted her gaze and shook her head sorrowfully. Scott's anger was becoming louder and more forceful as students crowded shocked into the hallway, many leaning to their friends for confirmation, to ensure they weren't crazy. Something distracted him and Scott looked up, not seeing the confused as hell kids, but looking past them. Straight to Marie, he made a step forward.

* * *

Marie had also heard that scream and had the same response as Kitty; she darted around the corner and stopped dead, nearly fainting with shock. When he came toward her, she matched him step for step, backing away and trusting everyone else to work around her. Suddenly it became too much and she spun on her heel hurrying away down the hall, as she escaped she past Colossus; he looked over her shoulder, "Is that…?"

"Yeah" she confirmed, "It is"

As she hurried away, she heard Ororo cry,

"I'm sorry alright!"

Then surprisingly Piotr's deep European accent, "Miss Munroe, wait!"

* * *

Ororo left Scott, pushing her way through the students, breaking into a run when she realized someone was following her. She let her feet lead her unaware of where she was going, as long as it was far away from her old friend. Faster and faster through the corridors, she knew that eventually she'd run out of path, Xavier's was only so big.

"Miss Munroe" a gentle yet insistent voice kept pace a respectful distance away,

"Miss Munroe, please!"

"What!" slamming on the brakes she spun around and looked up at the young man, "What, what, what, what, what, What?"

Piotr flinched at the her loud voice, for all his six ft four height and resemblance to an army tank he could hardly bring himself to hurt a fly, literally he would spend up to ten minutes just trying to get it to an open window. He glanced down at his feet nervously, "I wanted to make sure you were okay," he mumbled,

"Okay" Ororo cried, tears rushing to her eyes, "Oh sure I'm _fine_, you know first my best friend comes back from the dead, goes psycho, kills her fiancé, my surrogate father and damn near causes World War Three. I finally get over that and then what happens, her pissed off fiancé decides 'Hey if Jean can do it, I can do it too!' Dammit!" she hung her head in her hands, "I'm not angry with you Piotr…I…"

Suddenly she felt a warm hand touch her shoulder, through her thin black top, warm and slightly damp in the middle, and offering unconditional support. Opening her eyes she tilted her head towards it, spotting a fleck of pink paint at his wrist, she smiled remembering how Piotr had turned up to Kitty's bat mitzvah party with a smear of black across his cheek. That had been before they started dating, but he always managed to have paint on him. He didn't speak and neither did she, they stood there suddenly comfortable with each other. Teacher and student, man and woman,

X-men.

Exhaling slowly she rested her head on the hand, brushing her fingers along the paint flecked wrist.

It was so _warm_.

* * *

Marie didn't even bother looking where she was going, the damn students could get outta _her_ way. Suddenly a lot of things were making sense, marching down the hallways she almost fell down the stairs in front of Logan's room. Her breathing shallow she beat her fist against the door,

"Logan?"

From inside she heard the sound of metal and the slurred wording "Enter"

She froze on the threshold, her hand on the doorknob, he had been drinking, she knew that even before she entered and hesitated, wondering if she truly wanted to see her boyfriend drunk.

'Don't be foolish' she told herself, 'You've seen him drink before'

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and opened the door, pushing herself in.

He looked up as she stumbled over the threshold, tilting his head to regard her in an almost animalistic way, "Hey" she gave him a shaky smile, giving the room a once over. It was odd but the only other time she had been in this room, actually past the doorway, was the night he had stabbed her through the chest. He leant against the wall, staring out an open window, lit cigar in his mouth. Beer cans littered the floor, not so much a sign of his drinking as it was of his paranoia, an alarm system, it was supposedly impossible to walk through the room without disturbing the intricate pattern, to warn him of enemies. However, Marie had to wonder how much chance there was of survival if the enemy had made it as far as Logan's room. He was still wearing the clothes she had seen him in this morning, trademark wife beater and jeans, surprisingly bare foot, showing that he had little intention of leaving his room…and she sure as hell knew why.

"So…" she closed the door behind her, clapping her hands in front of her body, "Scott huh?"

He mumbled incoherently and tipped his cigar ash out the window, "Yep,"

Marie was trying to divide her attention between the conversation and finding herself a path to Logan that wouldn't trigger an 'alarm'; she gave up halfway and sunk onto the bed, crossing denim-clad legs and biting her lip,

"Was _he_ last night's mission?" she asked cautiously, hunching her shoulders in anticipation, sighing and throwing his still good cigar out the window Logan turned to face her, crossing his arms and studying his feet, "Yeah"

The events of last night, Logan's stand offish behavior, then his crawling into her bedroom, his desperation, it was making sense.

_Marie, I know you can't understand…but I need you right now baby…please I need you_

_I'm so sorry Darlin' I…last night nearly killed me…I…you were my last link to the world…I needed to hold you…touch you…know you were still real…still mine_

"He said something to you last night didn't he?" she demanded, feeling a spark of outrage at Scott's potential attempt to sabotage her new relationship. Logan didn't answer but Marie could see it in his eyes, the quick glance he risked showing more depth than words ever could, devastation, fear, distrust. In one night Scott had managed to undo years of built faith between them both, bridges that Marie had painstakingly built, risking her heart to do so. Grief swept her; she sniffed and fought back tears,

"Sugar" she whispered holding out her arms, beckoning him to her. When he didn't respond as she wished, instead turning to resume his position at the window she tried again,

"_Logan_!" a harsh tone, one that didn't accept rejection, startled he obeyed the order and padded across the room, stopping just outside her embrace and taking her hands. Resolute Marie stood and looked him straight in the eye, "Let me make this clear to ya Logan, cause I'm only saying this once. I don't care _who_ says fucking _what_ to you, I am not gonna let our relationship be influenced by people who aren't even in it! Personally I wouldn't care if Professor Xavier climbed outta the grave just to tell us no, too _fucking_ bad cause I aint listening. And I can't be sure but last I checked Wolverine never gave a damn what people thought, particularly ones he never liked anyway. But if you somehow managed to take a dose of pansy ass since we last met then tell me now so I can go find someone who isn't afraid of a bit of disapproval"

He seemed startled by her speech, and for a moment she worried that she had gone too far, but instead he released her hands and grabbed her round the waist, pulling her flush against him and kissing her hair hard. "You're not worried bout what people think?" he asked, nibbling her ear, she shook her head, "Only thoughts I care about are ours, fuck the rest of them"

He grinned, "Damn straight darlin', sorry for giving you the scare"

She laughed, "I don't scare easy Wolvie"

He growled and dipped her, hovering her just above the bed, she raised her eyebrows and arched her back, capturing his mouth and kissing him passionately. Their tongues dueled and he lowered her onto the bed, she clung to him and parted her legs, setting her feet on the floor for advantage. Bent at the waist, Logan broke the kiss and gazed down at her, a hint of a smile on his face. Reaching up she caressed his cheek, enjoying the feel of his muttonchops, ducking his head he kissed her palm and then knelt astride her. Swallowing she stole a glance to where their bodies were parted only by denim, surely not a coincidence, she blushed as Logan caught her and he chuckled,

"Sorry darlin'" he whispered, rolling off her and gathering her into his arms, their legs still dangling off the bed, "Not interested in that right now"

She stared, "Since _when_?"

He smiled, reaching further up the bed and tugging at the duvet, "Since I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours"

Marie let out a dramatic sigh, "Fine" she rolled her eyes sarcastically, crawling up to the head of the bed she kicked off her shoes and slipped under the sheets, positioning a pillow underneath her head, "We'll sleep"

Sniggering Logan followed her, "Well everyone probably already knows we're sleeping together," he slipped an arm around her waist, using the other as a prop, "You know that is my _favorite_ pillow"

She snuggled against him, curling up, "And I'm your favorite girl, we go hand in hand"

"Hand huh?"

"Nice try Wolvie, I'm not ticklish"

And despite it being ten o'clock in the morning, they fell asleep in each others arms.


	8. Chapter 8

_AN- Own nothing related to this- sorry guys this is the last update for a while due to lack of computer access_

_

* * *

_

_You look into my eyes  
I go out of my mind  
I can't see anything  
Cos this love's got me blind  
I can't help myself  
I can't break the spell  
I can't even try _

I'm in over my head  
You got under skin  
I got no strength at all  
In the state that I'm in

And my knees are weak  
And my mouth can't speak  
Fell too far this time

Baby, I'm too lost in you  
Caught in you  
Lost in everything about you  
So deep, I can't sleep  
I can't think  
I just think about the things that you do (you do)  
I'm too lost in you  
(Too lost in you)

ooh  
Well you whispered to me  
And I shiver inside  
You undo me and move me  
In ways undefined  
And you're all I see  
And you're all I need  
Help me baby (help me baby)  
Help me baby (help me now)

Cos I'm slipping away  
Like the sand to the tide  
Falling into your arms  
Falling into your eyes  
If you get too near  
I might disappear  
I might lose my mind

Baby, I'm too lost in you  
Caught in you  
Lost in everything about you  
So deep, I can't sleep  
I can't think  
I just think about the things that you do (you do)  
I'm too lost in you  
(Too lost in you)- Too lost in you- Sugarbabes

* * *

Logan woke to the sounds of students stomping down the staircase outside his room, for a moment he tensed waiting to hear the sounds of attack, the alarms that would have woken the kids and had them running for cover at night. Opening his eyes however dispelled the need, showing the sun still high in the sky and the clock reading three; it was the middle of the afternoon. He wondered what he was doing sleeping in the middle of the day, when he heard a soft sigh and the rustle of sheets beside him, looking down he saw Marie. Her brunette locks, once again wavy framed her face, her cupid bow and extremely kissable lips parted as she slept. He smiled, propping himself on his elbow to admire his bed partner, admire the way her t-shirt was a size too small, outlining the curves of her full, generous breasts, the duvet covered the rest of her body, but that was an easily overcome obstacle. Slipping a hand under he pulled it down slowly, stopping just at her knees, still asleep Marie shivered from the sudden loss of warmth. Logan gathered her into his arms and watched as her breasts pressed together in his embrace, he felt a familiar stirring in his groin and knowing the cause was still asleep and enjoying the rest, briefly toyed with the idea of having his way with her anyways. Nevertheless, his perverted mind was overridden by one of the few rules he had, 

The girl _always_ has to be conscious and willing.

Feeling his erection, he contemplated jerking off in the bathroom, but he was unable to leave his gorgeous girl, sighing he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers, tasting her and trying to make it enough. Using the arm not wrapped about her shoulders, he let himself cup her mound through her jeans, cursing at the denim trappings.

Have to talk to her bout that, he noted, jeans aren't good for girls, especially mine.

Suddenly he felt a movement against his hand, an answering thrust. Marie whimpered as she woke up, wrestling against the tight hold, clearly disoriented,

"Shush, darlin' it's me" he reassured her and she blinked in confusion,

"Logan?" she raised her beautiful brown eyes to meet his, "What're ya doin' in my room?"

He chuckled, "Other way round darlin'"

"Oh" yawning she glanced about the well-furnished teacher's suite, "That's alright then"

"Is it?" he teased, "You in my bed, dressed like _that_"

Self-consciously she looked down to her clothes, then smirked realising his game, "Oh yeah, t-shirt and jeans…surprised I didn't wake up to find you on top of me"

"You nearly did" he kissed her cheek fiercely, "Can't seem to control myself around you"

She laughed, "Can't say I mind"

They kissed again, holding each other and enjoying caresses, they tangled their legs and pressed closer, Marie broke the kiss and looked over Logan's shoulder to the clock, "Damn, time to go"

She made to roll away but Logan caught her,

"Whatever it is, you can miss it"

She caught his mouth in a kiss, "No I really can't"

He groaned, "Why not?"

She laughed, "Because it's _your_ lesson"

* * *

It was torture 

Pure and utter torture.

Marie, his woman was only ten feet away, skin glistening and hair falling about her face, wearing only a sports top and almost indecent shorts, getting nice and hot…

With _another_ guy.

Moreover, there wasn't a goddamn thing he could do about it!

He watched as she dodged Piotr's fist, too easily he noted. For all the Russian's bulk, he could be damn fast, unless of course he reckoned that he had an unfair advantage, at which point he went soft on his partner. Something Marie had obviously noticed too, or she was in a bad mood, either way she took the chance to deal Piotr a hard kick to the worst area she possibly could. Piotr grunted and went down on the sparring mat, across the room Jubilee and Kitty on the equipment, flirting more than exercising hissed in sympathy. "Ooh no kids for you Petey" Jubilee chimed, causing Kitty to burst into giggles.

Marie wasn't as easily amused, cursing under her breath she stormed across the room and grabbed her drink bottle, drinking more for distraction than need, her anger radiated around the room, emphasized by the heavy metal track that chose that particular moment to play. No one quite knew what to say, if they had been alone Logan would have walked over and drawn her into his arms, rocking her gently even as she squirmed angrily. But their relationship was still too new for public speculation, beyond impulsive make-outs, even if others knew about it anyway, so he stood back and allowed her to calm down.

Piotr didn't reach the same theory, picking himself off the floor he loped over to Rogue and spoke to her, even if he had wanted to with his sensitive hearing Logan wouldn't have been able to ignore the conversation.

'_Rogue, are you alright?'_

'_You just went soft on me, why?'_

'_I don't want to hurt you'_

'_That never worried you before'_

'_That's cause Wolverine could heal you before, it's different now, you're human'_

He saw his girl's hand tense and was already moving before she even moved, not in time to stop Marie from hitting Piotr hard in the face. He flinched and reeled back, Logan wrapped Marie in a body lock but she didn't continue fighting. Kitty and Jubilee both appeared at Piotr's shoulders and ushered him from the room, ignoring his protests and the blood spurting from his nose. The song finished on the cd player and a beep sounded to alert the end of the album, Logan ignored it, looking to Marie. She was taking deep breaths, her anger displayed in her tense form, her hands balled into fists, unsure of what to do, he buried his nose in her hair, wrapping his arms about her shoulders and she sunk into his embrace. She sniffed and he could pick up the faintest scent of salt,

"I shouldn't have done that" she murmured, he shook his head, moving hers as well,

"What Piotr did was stupid"

"But it was right" she turned in his arms and rested her face against his neck, not able to look into his eyes, "I'm a human, that changes things"

Logan shrugged, trying to make her feel better, "Not really, physically you're still about level eight, being human doesn't change your skills"

He felt her tense again, leaning away from him, she gazed at his chin for a moment, brushing her forehead against his stubble, and then smiling reached up and kissed his lips,

"Thanks for trying Logan"

Knowing he had failed, he grinned trying again the only way he knew how,

"At least one good thing has come out of this"

She frowned, "What?"

He lowered his head, his lips a breath from hers, "We have some privacy"

She blushed, pressing her body against his, "Oh, you're right"

He ran a hand down her back, enjoying the feel of her soft, pliant body, "any fantasies darlin'?"

She bit her lip; rubbing his shoulder, "Well…" she smirked remembering what she had told Jubilee,

"I always wanted to try the treadmill"

* * *

"Kay, well Rogue has snapped" 

Jubilee stared at her girlfriend with horror, "Like no she has not, Piotr acted stupid is all"

"No reason to damn near break his nose!"

"Well at least she proved she still has it"  
The girls stood outside the med centre, waiting for Dr McCoy to finish bandaging Piotr so they could take him back to his room. Due to the extreme differences between the medical knowledge doctors used to treat humans and the anatomical variances of the Homo Sapiens Superior, Dr McCoy was always extremely cautious with any patients that had taken injury to the head. He had requested the girls see Piotr up to his room and have someone check on him ever hour of so afterwards. They had waited patiently for the first five minutes or so, both ignoring the awkward topic at hand, but Rogue's uncharacteristic outburst had been too juicy for them not to discuss in great detail, picking every miniscule facet of it to pieces in a way only the female sex can do. They had quickly argued however, over the concern for Rogue's mental state,

"I'm just saying" Kitty began again, "I think Rogue's just had too much to deal with, I mean come on its been like barely two weeks and the girl has been shot by her boyfriend, unwillingly cured, had her living details put to risk, screwed by Wolverine" Jubilee stared at her in shock, having never divulged that information to her,

"Yes I figured it out, this _is_ Logan remember?"

"Anyhow, the whole sudden crash of events, it'd be enough to upset anyone, but I haven't seen Rogue deal with it yet"

"You mean you haven't seen her burst into tears" Jubilee countered, leaning against the cold, metal wall, "Maybe she like is dealing with it, she totally hasn't said anything to me but maybe her relationship with Logan includes 'dealing with it' or 'getting over it'"

"Maybe, I dunno, her whacking Piotr is totally freaky though" Kitty sunk to the floor leaning her back on the wall, Jubilee followed, "I've never seen her do anything like that"

"Well she's never had to, there was always Bobby or Johnny or Wolvie behind her, between the three of them nobody ever messed with her"

"Piotr wasn't messing with her though" Kitty concluded, moving closer to Jubes and taking her hand, "He was just being Piotr"

Jubilee nodded and then shrugged dolefully, she slipped her hand inside Kitty's and rubbed her thumb across her palm, "Your skin is so smooth" she whispered in her ear, Kitty blushed and turned her head, allowing their cheeks to touch, Jubilee kissed her temple and closing her eyes reached for her mouth…

"Well girls" Dr McCoy began as the door opened…

Yelping Kitty phased through the wall, landing the upper half of her body in the med centre, Jubilee jumped to her feet, losing her balance and stumbling, stepping on her own feet.

She looked to Dr McCoy who was staring wide-eyed at the scene as Piotr bent to help Kitty,

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked suspiciously, Jubilee flashed a smile,

"Nah, just girl stuff, so is Petey good to go?"

"Yes" he gestured to Piotr who was heavily bandaged around the nose and breathing through his mouth, "You both know the drill"

"Yep keep him alive for the night" Kitty chimed, "Okay that's all, nothing more, let's go"

She raced down the hall, dragging both Piotr and Jubes with her, Jubilee hoped the elevator was at their level because Kitty looked like she was about to phase them through to the shaft.

"Katya" Piotr mumbled in concern, "Is everythin' all righ'"

Between his accent and his broken nose it was near impossible to understand him, but Kitty who came from a family of European accents made it out,

"Sure, fine, just in a hurry"

She skidded to a stop in front of the elevator and both Piotr and Jubes both took time to thank their respective religious deities.

Thankfully, Piotr was too muddled by the pain medication to question his ex-girlfriends erratic behaviour, and the duo got him to his room without fuss. Back in their own room Kitty sunk onto Jubes bed, chewing her lip in consternation, from the doorway Jubes folded her arms and watched her. Kitty Pryde really was quite beautiful, she realised, not that she hadn't always known that she was pretty, but only now when she truly looked did she see the extent of the attractiveness. Ash blonde hair and brown eyes she was the popular ideal of pretty, but it was obvious that her true beauty was only beginning to merge to the surface and in another five, maybe ten years it would promote her to stunning. Age would have no consequence nor would any emotional scarring known to man; it would always be apparent, even to those blind. Overcome by the new feeling taking life inside her Jubes padded to the bed and sat down beside her, slinging an arm across her shoulders,

"Penny for them?" she asked and frowning Kitty looked to her, "Pardon?"

"What your thinking," Jubilee explained, "Current market price"

"Oh" Kitty chuckled and leant against her girlfriend, "I'm thinking about how we nearly got caught just now,"

Jubilee nodded not understanding, "But we didn't"

"No but" Kitty sighed, frustrated at her inability to put her thoughts into words, "My entire life I was always expected to be the good little girl, the smart little prefect and I was, I studied hard, got straight A's, had more extra curricular activities than anyone else. My teachers loved me and my parents were so proud …right up til my mutation. I had never questioned anything my parents wanted me to do before that…and then I found myself asking why G-d would punish me like that. I came to Xavier's because my parents wanted me to be cured…and then I met Piotr. You know he's an atheist right? An atheist, four years older than me and with a criminal past, my parents were horrified…and for the first time in my life I disobeyed them and stayed with Piotr. After we broke up I didn't bother to disobey them again, except now, with you"

She reached over and clasped Jubilee's hands in her own, kissing them fervently, "I want to be with you Jubilee, I want to but I want to keep it a secret…not because I'm ashamed to be with you…but because if my parents find out, they will break us up, they will try to tear us apart and we're underage, they can do that"

"No" Jubilee shifted closer and pressed their foreheads together, "I won't let that happen"

"That's why we need to keep this a secret" Kitty pressed, "For no other reason than that I don't want to lose you, not yet, not before we have a chance to explore this thing"

Shaken Jubes nodded, "Okay, okay,"

Kitty took an unsteady breath and kissed Jubilee softly, "Our little secret"

* * *

Marie gasped as her skin made contact with the cool tiles, shivering she tilted her head, bearing her neck as Logan lunged forward and marked his territory once more on her ivory skin, now crisscrossed with love bites and where in passion Logan's fingers had left marks. She moaned and clung to his shoulders, her legs already parted as his hands roamed her body, pinching, teasing, caressing and stroking. "This had better be our little secret" she warned him exhaustedly as he turned on the water, filling the small shower cubicle with steam, raising his head to meet hers he licked his lips and pressed his erection to her stomach, "What's the matter darlin'?" he teased, his hands finding her breasts and kneading the already erect nipples. "Worried I'm gonna tell people how wild you are" he replaced his hands with his mouth, and she moaned again, her hand straying down to his jutting cock and guiding it towards her, "Lets just get this fantasy of yours over and done with baby" she murmured, failing to sound angry as she panted with desire. "I don't know how much more of you I can take" 

He chuckled and held her close, supporting her body as he gave her a moment to prepare herself, when he released her she leant against the tiles and held her arms open, inviting him in with such unwitting erotic splendour that a groan escaped him. He pressed forward and parted her legs gently, knowing she wouldn't be able to straddle him, and slowly pushed his manhood into her sore, over sensitized core, she whimpered and threw her head back, he swallowed nervously, jerking his hips in small shallow thrusts to try and make it easier for her,

"Marie, darlin'" he whispered, "Are you okay?"

She met his movements with an answering thrust of her own,

"Oh God Logan. With you even pain feels _wonderful_"

Concerned he fumbled for the taps, turning down the hot water, then he found his eyes wandering down over her exquisite body to where they were joined as one, she caught his gaze and smirked,

"Fuckin' amazing isn't it baby?" she murmured running a hand through the down pour of water and pressing a thumb to her clit, "The things we can do to ourselves and…each other"

Logan felt light headed from the desire, his cock aching for release but he held himself for a few seconds more, worry for his partner superseding everything else, he ran his fingers through her hair, through the white and brunette strands and cradled her face, "How much more can you take Marie?"

Her head rolled back against the wall, mouth parted to accept the cool water, swollen, chapped lips seeking the healing droplets, eyes closed but housing irises nearly overridden by pupils, her scent drove him near madness, the arousal beyond anything he had smelt before, mixed with the aroma of the numerous sexual acts they had committed before this one. Marie sighed and licked her lips, lowering her head to meet his eyes, "As much as you want to give me baby"

He couldn't contain himself any longer, gripping her hips in a bruising hold Logan drove into her with a pent up passion, penetrating her deepest centre, so warm and tight around him as he reached into her core. Marie clung to him, her screams being choked by sobs as both her lust and her pain fought within her for dominance, she couldn't contain herself and came quickly, her orgasm ripping through her body as she screamed his name to the water. He hadn't finished and had to thrust into her another three times before his seed spilled into her. He kissed her passionately as she trembled against him with the aftershock and supported her against him, she was crying and he felt tears reach his own eyes, he broke for air and rested his cheek on her hair, "I'm sorry darlin', Marie…god…please tell me I didn't hurt you"

She was raining butterfly kisses upon his shoulder blades and the hollow of his neck, "Oh baby…no I…you make me feel so good baby…its okay…do anything you want to me…anything…make me do anything…I don't mind…I want it…I want you to…I'm yours, make me yours baby please"

'I think I already have' Logan mused. Remembering first how she had straddled him on the treadmill, and then he had mounted her on the sparring mats, but what had started as a simple game of fantasy sex had become pure adulterated lust, bordering on sadistic as Marie tried to keep up with Logan's virility while he took her countless times. They had lost control of their desires when their bodies made contact and their clothes lay in a ripped pile in the hallway outside the male changing room where they had hoped to shower and cool off. It hadn't worked and now Logan looked at the siren before him and contemplated taking her to the med centre to ensure he hadn't done any real damage, one look at her showed that her sympathetic nervous system had to be nearing the end of its tether. But the way she held him, the way she kissed and caressed him, showed a tenderness and a passion that he couldn't resist. At the moment, he was both dominant and enslaved to her. But not so far gone that his little brain could overwhelm him…_again_. Supporting her with one arm, he used his free hand to reach the soap dispenser, the gooey pink liquid oozed into his hand and he slathered it onto Marie's bare back, rubbing it in circles as he washed the sweat from her body. Sighing Marie stood on tip toe and rested her head on Logan's shoulder, her slow steady breaths growling in his ear, he grinned contently, a look unseen by Marie and likely to have never been believed by her anyway.

Wolverine content? A contradiction in terms, but the cause of this anomaly, this enigma was wrapped in his arms, all but purring with pleasure as he washed her.

So it made sense that something would intrude on this near-perfect moment.

Logan suppressed a groan as he heard the feather light step that signified a distant but approaching mutant, under the still running water, he couldn't detect a scent, but he was hoping like hell that it was only a student…preferably female, heading to the med centre. A student with no possible reason to detour through the men's changing rooms and wonder who was under the ridiculously long shower, come to think of it they would run out of water soon. Logan himself had arranged for a separate supply of water to run to the underground levels, rationed out according to need. The med centre and the third level, where mutants could be held or seek refuge during an attack, had the largest supply. The changing rooms however had only ten standard hours of water a week, and given that it was Saturday, he doubted he and Marie had that much time left.

Especially when he heard the sound of the changing room door sliding into the wall, someone was in the room with them,

"Dammit" Logan whispered under his breath, hastily covering Marie's mouth with his palm when she opened it to talk, she jumped but appeared to understand what Logan was trying to do.

It didn't matter anyway, the shower curtain was ripped aside and Scott Summers stood before them, smirking cat-with-cream style.

Marie yelped with shock and her teeth grazed Logan's hand, he swore and pulled it away, and she grabbed his shoulders as she slipped on the tiles. Scott watched the scene sniggering, he looked to Logan, "Smothering Rogue? You do know the law states she has to be willing in your perversions right?"

Marie stared at him and Logan growled, "Leave Summers, right now!"

"Sorry I don't take orders from cradle-snatchers" Scott snapped back before leaning against the shower entrance and running his eyes over every inch of Marie's body, mortified she stepped behind Logan hoping to hide her body. Disbelief quickly became fury at the indignity of the situation, her and Logan naked and vulnerable before a man who was quickly becoming the foundation for the creation of Logan and Marie's 'Mutual Enemy List' and coasting his way to the top, surpassing even Magneto and Sabertooth. A fair accomplishment for someone who'd they'd both never bothered to take interest in.

Marie clicked her tongue across the roof of her mouth, the water was becoming cold, the pressure was letting up…and if anyone else walked in she would never live the scene down.

"Summers" Marie deliberately declined Scott any title that she would have used as a student, "Are you gonna close that curtain, turn around and leave us alone?"

Tongue in cheek Scott's eyes came to rest squarely on her breasts, "Nah, don't think so"

She pursed her lips together as the distinctive sound of Logan's claws unsheathing, she knew that if she didn't get Scott to work away right now they'd have a dead body on their hands.

And it would be anyone's guess who the murderer was.

"Well" Marie gave him a cold smile, "I see you forgot your brain when you came back from hell"

It was a long shot, but she remembered Scott's attitude, or the attitude he'd had previous to his 'resurrection', but he'd always seemed to have a strain of religious belief in him.

This among many things showed the differences that had been born in the time since they'd last met,

Scott simply responded by glancing to Logan's claws, half out of the casings and then straight into his eyes while he addressed Marie,

"Maybe but I did bring back memories of the groping sessions you and Allerdyce used to share"

A final snikt and Marie squeezed her eyes shut, palm against the shower wall as ice cold water gushed over her body, water filled her mouth and she stepped out of the downpour and dared to look at Logan's knuckles.

Which were rapidly healing from the claws being re sheathed, shivering she raised her eyes to his, he looked at her with something akin to shock,

"Allerdyce" he blurted, and Scott kept talking, "You don't honestly think she was untouched when she came to you, after having so many boys her own age that cared?"

Marie blinked in surprise at the odd statement; she opened her mouth to question it but Logan was already stepping out of the shower, pushing past Summers and ripping open his locker for a towel and old training outfit. "Logan?" Marie tried hesitantly, reaching out a hand for a towel.

He ignored her, holding his outfit in one hand and keeping his towel about his waist, stormed out of the changing room.

"Wait!" she cried, jumping out of the shower cubicle, skidding on water and having Scott catch her arm to prevent her breaking her neck, "Logan" she screamed after him, "Wait I can explain…dammit" tears came to her eyes and she focused her attention on the man beside her. "I don't know what you want Summers, but just fuck off and leave Logan and I be"

"Whoa" Scott stepped in her way as she made to leave, "I'm here because Hank wanted to see you in the med lab, preferably alone"

She frowned, ignoring the constant shivering and chattering of her teeth, "Why?"

For the first time since he had come back she saw a hint of old Scott in his eyes, "I don't know…but he said it was urgent"

Suddenly she was afraid. Whatever progress she had made as a human in the last few weeks had been eradicated and she was reduced to a frightened nineteen-year-old _something_ standing confused, overwhelmed, isolated and naked. Shuffling over to Logan's locker, she pulled out another towel, a hand towel but it would serve the same purpose, and a sweatshirt, which reached her calves. Logan was gone and so was her strength, bordering on broken she allowed Scott to lead her to the med centre, where she broke into tears as Hank McCoy gathered her into his arms and whispered a mantra to the inconsolable girl,

"I'm so sorry my dear"

"_I'm so sorry_"

* * *

Logan had heard Marie's cries for him; they had spurred him to go faster, to escape for a little while, to make sense of all he had just learnt. He stepped into the elevator and began changing even before the doors shut, his last glimpse of the hall being the tattered pile of the clothes he and Marie had worn. They created images in his head, images of Marie with John, with Pyro, the sadistic twisted boy who would have degraded and killed them all with pleasure. Images that refused to be ignored. 

_They were in class, a warm summer's day; the teacher- Storm- is facing the board, as are the rest of the class. Bobby sits on Marie's left, John sits on her right. Bobby's hands are on his desk while John's slowly creeps over to Marie's thigh and rests there, he gives it a quick squeeze causing her to jump. But when she looks at him, she's clearly smiling._

_In the third level hallway, Marie and John are lingering, pretending to talk as students slowly filter into their rooms or downstairs, when the last student is gone, John suddenly pushes her against the wall, in unison they smile and kiss passionately, bodies pressed together in desire. The sound of a door opening is heard and quickly Marie takes his hand and stumbled to her door, "In here" she whispers seductively._

"No" Logan told himself aloud as more images both tender and licentious swam before his eyes, he pounded his head with his fists. They served to remind him of a night he'd rather forget. The elevator stopped and as it opened laughter reached his ears, he was able to detect, by scent the two immediately. Ororo and the injured Piotr stared as they saw Logan, partially crouched, resembling a caged animal more than a man. Ororo made to speak but Logan threw a quick reassurance at her and scurried off, he didn't see the two of them slide into the elevator, didn't see their hands clasped, or their bodies touching as they closed their eyes and leaned in for a kiss.

He staggered to Marie's room, seeking the comfort of her scent, of her presence. She wasn't there of course, and when he looked into the room and saw the tangled bed sheets, memories of last night came to mind. And the event that had sparked it all.

_He had chased Marie back to his room to find Ororo standing there, leaning against his desk. Before Marie had even left the room, he had prepared a dozen arguments, each focusing on why the new relationship was positive and in no way damaging to the schools reputation and why it wasn't anyone else's flamin' business. Ororo had silenced him quickly, explaining that due to Rogue's being over-age she had no concerns, that she was happy for both of them, especially if it helped her to cope with the sudden loss of her mutation. However, she exhaled slowly, that wasn't what she came to talk to him about. She started by mentioning Alkali Lake, then police reports showing mutant activity and damages resulting from the release of extremely potent energy beams and then though he had already realised what she was trying to tell him, came straight out with it._

"_Scott's alive" _

_Stunned he folded his arms, "Are you sure?"_

_A redundant question but she nodded understandably, "Are you going to get him?"_

_Another nod. He felt a chill in his spine, "I'm goin' with you"_

_Immediately Ororo shook her head, "I'm not sure that's a good idea"_

_He scoffed, "Don't worry, neither am I"_

"_Logan" she crossed the room and lay a hand on his arm, "Scott and Jean were connected by a telepathic link, I am not sure whether or not it dissipated upon her first demise, it is possible that he was aware of her final moments"_

_Jean Grey. The name startled him. A woman he had once thought he had loved. The woman he had killed and not thought of since Marie and her concerns had begun to be of primary interest to him. that convinced him to go,_

"_If Scott knows I killed her, then he's gonna wanna try and kill me, better it happens in Canada then here, in front of M…the students"_

_Accepting this statement, she had told him to suit up and meet her down in the hanger quickly. He had found his X-Men uniform in his dirty clothes hamper of all places and, instead of putting it on immediately, gone to warn Marie of his departure. She had been upset and he realised that, but he hadn't been able to stop that. At that moment, he had wanted nothing more than to return to the golden afternoon at the Lake, the perfect time when he came exceedingly close to Utopia. However, he knew that it was already past, so he had bade her goodbye and dragged himself into the Blackbird, changing on the jet. _

_Finding Scott had been relatively easy. It was night-time admittedly but Ororo had chased the clouds from the moon and Logan had used his heightened senses to lead her around the lake to where, just a mile or so in the woods, Scott lay curled in a foetal position. Some of Jean's telekinetic influence apparently still active. His body had frozen all necessary requirements, keeping him in a catatonic state that had kept him well nourished, warm and alive. However, Jean's attack on him, however unwitting, had still dazed him and without his glasses, he had been largely unable to seek help. Hence the reason he had emitted his optic blasts at intervals, he had known sooner or later the X-Men would put two and two together. He had been grateful to see Ororo again, but she had been right in her suspicion that Scott was aware of Logan's hand in removing Jean and once carried back to the jet had managed to sense a new relationship in his nemesis life and played it to his advantage. _

"_Oh you sick bastard, you've gone after Marie haven't you? God Xavier will be turning in his grave, we were always worried, could never trust you around her, had to send you to Alkali Lake so we didn't wake up one morning and find her tied to your bed, with her underwear around her ankles"_

_Storm threw herself between them, "Logan" she gasped as he ran into her, "Ignore him"_

_Growling he turned around, stalking to his seat, "Let's just leave"_

_He nearly screamed when he saw that the ramp was still lowered, the more time he spent in close proximity with Summers, the lesser the chance of pretending this all away. Scott continued talking, _

"_You don't honestly think that Marie could care about something like you? She likes you like a kid likes a dog, its all well and fun til it hurts them, then straight off to the fuckin' pound"_

_His claws came out and he threw himself across the small space, but he had frozen as he felt electric bolts running through his body and fell to his knees when he realised that Storm had hit him with a lightning bolt._

"_Scott" she had shouted, "Cut it out"_

"_If you don't agree with me," he had retaliated, "Then why'd you attack him?"_

_She had bent to help Logan off the floor, "You don't heal as quickly" she hissed, "But I assure you, its looking like a good idea to me"_

_Mollified, Scott sat back in his seat and Ororo guided Logan across the space to his own, but halfway through the flight Scott had regained his courage and, waiting until Ororo was distracted, snuck over and whispered in Logan's ear._

"_It's not real Logan, she's not real to you, to someone else maybe. Someone who deserves her, who doesn't have blood soaked hands, I'll bet even now she's crawling into the bed of a boy her own age…and getting a lot more out of it with him then she would with you"_

Though he wouldn't admit it, now or ever. Logan had been shaken by those words and had questioned Marie's feelings for him. He knew that after Ellis Island, she had a naïve crush on him, and following his return could see the light in her eyes whenever she glanced at him. However he had forgot those feelings until after Alcatraz, when she had refused to ask questions regarding Jean, had simply shared many a beer on a sleepless night. When he had begun to take solace in her, seek her soothing presence, tug on her white strands to steal a smile. Actions that had led to Bobby's jealousy, when he had kissed her following the event it had seemed so natural. But why would a young, beautiful woman be interested in someone so much older, he wondered if he could bring himself to ask.

Fleeing her room, he leant against the wall in the hallway; sinking to the floor, he rested his elbows on his knees. Then he heard it, the elevator opening and the sound of tumbling from the hold. Her scent reached him, magnolias and the salt from the river Mississippi, or from her tears. His head shot up, she was crying, his Marie. Scrambling to his feet he stared in horror as she came around the corner, half held, half dragged by Dr McCoy and Scott. Hurrying forward he opened his arms and meeting her across the hall pulled her gruffly towards him as she all but leapt into his embrace. She was sobbing hard, clutching his jacket and soaking his neck,

"It's not true," she choked, drawing back and staring determinedly into his eyes,

"Marie" Dr McCoy whispered, holding out a hand, her back to him she shook her head,

"It's not true," she repeated firmly, calming down now she pressed her lips to Logan's cheek and rocked herself gently in his arms.

Confused, Logan wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin atop her head, closing his eyes briefly he sought oblivion for a precious second before opening them again and looking to Dr McCoy, silently asking.

Dr McCoy nodded and Logan realized that whatever the approaching grief was, Marie was wrong. It was true.


	9. Chapter 9

AN/ sorry this took so long guys I've been so busy and got hideous writers block which is why the kitty/jubilee scene goes on for so bloody long, bored out of my skull for that one. CaptMackenzie you might wanna just skip down to the first line, thats practically what i did.

Enjoy everyone p.s- there is a reason ororo and piotr are hardly mentioned.

_

* * *

_

_While were talking  
About all of the things that I long to believe  
About love and the truth and  
What you mean to me  
And the truth is baby __you're all that I need  
Tonight I wont be alone  
But you know that don't  
Mean I'm not lonely I've got nothing to prove  
For its you that I'd die to defend- Bed of Roses Bon Jovi_

* * *

One month later. 

The gates to Xavier's mansion slowly drew open and a black nondescript Jeep crept quietly up the decorated drive, sliding into the large, grey garage. Inside the car, two young girls sat driver and shotgun, both dressed beautifully and made up with subtle tones that displayed maturity and good taste.

Exhaling as she killed the engine, Kitty absently slid her hand from the gears and reaching across, took Jubilee's hand, pressing it to her lips. Today had been perfect, Kitty had brought her breakfast in bed, they had gone shopping, seen a movie, and had dinner at Jubes favorite restaurant. Everything possible to put her girl at ease. Because tonight they were going to make love.

Jubilee sneaked a glance at Kitty as they lingered in the car, the warm glow of the garage filtering in, bathing them both. Kitty still held Jubes hand and kissed her fingertips, brushing them with her lips and darting her tongue out to stroke them,

Jubilee sighed, "That feels good," Kitty smiled releasing the hand and reaching over to kiss her jaw, "I'm gonna make you feel all kinds of good tonight honey" she promised, her voice soft and husky. Tilting her head, she kissed Jubilee's mouth, sliding her tongue along hers, reaching over and resting her hands on her neck and hip, clutching the dress softly. After a few minutes, Jubilee broke the kiss, drawing her head back as she blushed, "We should…do you wanna go inside? Somebody might come out and…"

"Of course," Kitty murmured gently sliding back into her seat and undoing the belt, she jumped from the drivers side and walked around the car to meet Jubes, slowly she reached out and took her hand again, leading her through the garage with their heels clacking on the concrete. She knew Jubilee was nervous, both of what was ahead and that they would be caught. The halls were deserted; they were in after curfew, something that usually resulted in detention for the students or chores for the adults. However, Kitty had pulled a few strings and called in a few favors, the high tech security cameras placed in _interesting _locations throughout the grounds and programmed to recognize the id of all students would fail to record her and Jubilee's faces when spotted. Reaching the stairs Kitty turned and embraced Jubilee, sighing and resting her head on her shoulder. Jubilee sunk into her hold, pliant against her lover's body, trusting her to take care of her tonight. Kitty smiled and kissed her forehead softly before resuming their path. Stepping into their bedroom, she turned on the light; despite the momentous evening planned, their bedroom looked pretty much the same, save it being a bit tidier, and two glasses of water with a plate of fruit sitting on the desk. The things she was planning to use for tonight were hidden under her pillow, they had decided to use her bed, Jubes had stuttered that she hadn't wanted any stains on her favorite sheets. Kicking off her shoes Kitty turned and received an armful of Jubilee, she reached up and kissed Kitty passionately. Kitty returned the kiss and slipped her arms around her, reaching for the zip at the back of the dress. Suddenly Jubes pulled away sniffing,

"Yuck I _reek_!"

Kitty giggled, "Nice romantic moment there!"

Jubes blushed, "I do though, I've been out all day and Eeeww"

"Why don't we take a bath?" Kitty suggested her sea blue eyes gazing into the black orbs, licking her lips as her body grew warm, Jubilee bit her bottom lip,

"Okay" she agreed turning and raising her hair so that Kitty could unzip her.

Watching her Kitty couldn't help but think ahead, seeing the soft, dark skin of her back, she hesitated over unclipping the bra comparing her own ivory skin, just a shade lighter than Rogue's. She imagined how it would look when their bodies slid against each other, when she pressed her lips to her smooth belly. Shivering she unclasped the bra and let it drop to the floor, turning Jubilee around she placed her hands on her ribcages, sliding them to her sides, keeping their eyes locked as she slid her hands down to her lover's panties and slipped her hands into the waistband. Sinking to her knees to remove the panties she gasped as she saw Jubilee's womanhood. Jubilee had allowed her to sneak glimpses of her body before, once they had started dating, when she was feeling cheeky, as she got out of the shower she would allow Kitty to see parts of her, teasing her into frenzy. This was the first time she had seen this part though, breaking her gaze she pressed an index finger to Jubilee's belly button and traced it down to just above her juncture,

"You've shaved" she whispered, her breath becoming shallow, Jubilee nodded her knees trembling, "I saw you waxing your legs and started mine…and then kept going" she fluttered her hands nervously, "It's okay right?"

I am so fucking hot for you right now, Kitty thought desperately, unable to resist she leant forward and kissed the freshly shaven skin, nipping playfully. Jubilee moaned,

"Um…bath?"

Nodding Kitty stood up and watched her disappear into their bathroom before undressing herself, touching her chignon to make sure it was still up. The water was already running when she stepped in, shivering as her feet hit the cool tiles. Jubilee sat on the stool before their sink, brushing her hair, nonchalantly pushing a bath bomb into the tub; Kitty took the brush from her hand and watched them both in the mirror. Jubilee was watching her breasts transfixed; Kitty pressed her lower body against her back, her soft curls brushing against Jubes skin. Jubilee gasped with pleasure and titled her head back; pushing it into Kitty's stomach, giggling Kitty put the brush on the vanity and grabbed a velvet scrunchie, scooping the ebony hair into a bun.

"Come on" she giggled, "Let's get wet"

Sweeping across the room with dancers grace, she turned off the tap and stepped into the warm opaque water, the smell of frangipani reaching her senses. Sinking down with a luxurious sigh she closed her eyes and rested her head on the edge, a small splash alerted her to Jubilee's entrance, raising her head and opening her eyes she watched her lazily, "Come here honey"

Kneeling in the water Jubilee sat down and then molded her body against her, resting her head on her shoulder, tangling their legs. Steam rose from the water and Kitty sighed as her muscles relaxed, Jubilee reached languidly for the body wash, scooping a generous helping onto the washcloth,

"Here" Kitty slipped it from her hand, "Let me"

Folding the ends of the washcloth together and rubbing the body wash into lather, gently she lowered it onto Jubilee's shoulder, moving it in small circles. Jubilee wiggled her body against hers, causing electric shocks to resonate in Kitty's groin, clearing her throat she eased the cloth across Jubes back and then round to her neck, stroking the smooth, olive skin. The water lapped around them as Kitty readjusted herself and tentatively lowered the cloth until it brushed the top of Jubilee's petite breasts, sinking into the water and clasping itself to Jubilee's left breast. Kitty bit her lip and tilted her head, becoming all too aware of Jubes buttocks pressed against her womanhood and the hard nipple pressing through the cloth. Jubilee quivered and turned to Kitty, licking her lips as she teased her breast, reaching up she slid and arm about her shoulders and lifted her head for a kiss. Capturing Kitty's plush pink lips with her own she felt a tightening in her body, a coil in her groin; she slipped her tongue in and massaged it against hers. Growing bolder Jubes raised her free hand from the steaming water and cupped the underside of Kitty's right breast, weighing the plump beauty in her hand, rubbing her hand up against the honey skin she felt the rock hard nipple between her fingers and pinched it hard. Kitty gasped and her hand abandoned Jubilee's breast and dove down the juncture of her thighs, finding her clit with ease. Jubes broke their kiss and moaned aloud at the touch, encouraging Kitty who thumbed the little pearl, flicking it roughly; when Jubilee started to pant, she fumbled and slipped an experimental finger into her opening. An encouraging buck of her hips permitted Kitty to probe further into the tight opening, biting her lip nervously when she tried to slide a second and third finger into the wet offering.

"Uh" Jubilee moaned, "That hurts"

"Oh sorry" Kitty removed two fingers, leaving only her index finger inside, pumping with increasing speed, "How's that feel?"

Jubilee was just nearing that world-renowned point of speech incapability, tilting her head back against the bath edge, her hair fell from its trappings and tickled the floor, she groped Kitty's breasts with both hands and they both fumbled their clumsy inexperienced way towards small climaxes. The bath water was beginning to cool but neither of them would have noticed it turn into sulfuric acid. Staring at each other's flushed faces Jubilee was the first to voice their thoughts, "We should go to bed"

Jumping to their feet and by sheer miracle managing to avoid slipping on the bathroom tiles and breaking their necks, they neglected to drain the bath or dry themselves off. Kitty held Jubilee's hand tightly in her own, her body singing as she led Jubes to her bed, she yanked back the covers, switching off the electric blanket she'd used to keep it warm. Releasing her hand Kitty climbed into the bed first, relishing the heat against her albeit warm but wet body. Jubilee stood over her, hesitating briefly and chewing her lip before slipping down next to her, tucking the fluffy doona and sheets around them, side by side they drew into an embrace. Kissing passionately and holding each other tight, wrapping their arms across their bodies and caressing every available inch. Slowly Kitty rolled Jubilee onto her back, taking control as they twisted under the red bed sheets. Jubilee's hands were starting to run down Kitty's smooth flat stomach when her head made contact with the pillow and she jumped,

"Mnn" Jubes broke the kiss, "There's something under the pillow," she complained, still trying to catch her breath Kitty pulled herself up and looked into her eyes, blushing nervously. "Ah yeah, there's some stuff under it I thought we could use tonight"

Sliding her hand up the side of Jubes neck she slipped it under the pillow and felt for the equipment, Jubilee rested her hands on her shoulders, and waited uncertainly. She was worried about tonight, it was her first time for girl on girl sex.

Hell it was her first time for any kind of sex.

She was a virgin,

It was rather a given considering she had never had a boyfriend, had never been able to concentrate on any guy long enough to form a crush, though she had come close with Pyro. That wasn't the issue.

Kitty _not_ being a virgin was.

Despite being only sixteen at the time, Kitty had started dating the twenty-year-old Piotr, who _had_ been a twenty-year-old chick magnet. Jubilee wasn't entirely sure of the details but Kitty's bed making habits had made it obvious when she'd slept elsewhere, plus there was the memories of the eventful afternoon when Jean and Ororo kept running into their room with pharmaceutical bags while Kitty bawled her eyes out in the bathroom. Technically, she didn't remember that, but friendship with Rogue meant she had already learnt how to develop strong mental shields and block memory wipes. So Kitty by default was the more experienced of them both. She gave herself a mental shake and concentrated on the moment at hand.

Or rather the giant dick in Kitty's hand.

"It's called a strap," Kitty explained quickly as Jubilation's eyes went comically wide, "You belt it on and use it in place of a real one. I thought…perhaps…if you were up to it, we could try it"

Speechlessness didn't come easy to Jubes, she swallowed and forced the words up her dry throat, "I don't think I could…"

"Oh no I would" Kitty interrupted, "Cause this is your night…we don't have to…just the options open to you if you want…"

Jubilee averted her gaze to the doona above them suddenly insecure, ashamed and all too well of her inexperience, "Will it not be sex if I…if we"

In the three seconds it took for those words to leave Jubilee's mouth Katherine Anna Pryde had already mentally kicked herself the entire length of the United States of America and Canada, stopping only to question how she jumped the border. She stuttered in her eagerness to mend the situation, "No…it'll still be sex I love you no matter what we…"

Her eyes went wide at the realization of her confession, "…do"

Those three words, calm amidst a raging storm of unadulterated innocence and a touch of teenage idiocy, were the three words that hadn't been said yet. The night had been based on the belief held by both girls that years of friendship made up for several more months of dating, they knew basically everything they were willing to divulge about each other and had felt ready. Love hadn't been a factor until that moment. Jubilee met her eyes and breaking into a smile pulled herself up and wrapped her arms around Kitty's neck, raining kisses on her face,

"I love you too, I love you too, I love you too, I love you too"

Kitty laughed and brought her lips down on Jubilee's, kissing her lovingly before pulling away, "So," she lowered her body down onto her lovers and rubbed it against hers suggestively, the last remnants of bath water causing chills against their hot skin, "You want me to…?"

Jubilee blushed, "Yeah but not right away"

"Oh you want me to do some other things first?"

Ducking her head Kitty pressed her lips to Jubilee's right breast, causing her to gasp, almost purring she opened her mouth around the hardened nipple, the strap falling from her grasp as she ran her hands up and down the olive skinned body. Jubilee was starting to grind herself against her as the sensations being caused by Kitty's mouth and hands ran straight to her legs, she tightened her arms around Kitty, pressing their bodies tighter together. Kitty's tongue laved the nipple, her teeth grazing against it, she could feel the wetness from Jubilee's thighs against her own sex, or it might have been her own and seeing her lover aroused. Who knew and who cared, all Kitty could be sure of is that she wanted to know what it tasted like. Releasing the breast, much to its owners dismay, she compensated by kissing the valley between the two and tracing a path down her flat stomach, pausing to press her cheek against the belly button and splay her hand beside her face, admiring the two tones of color. Continuing her journey her head disappeared beneath the covers and she felt Jubilee's legs twitch in confusion before her tongue snaked out of her mouth and found her clit.

Jubilee was in heaven, or close enough to it without the disadvantage of being dead. She could see the outline of Kitty's movements beneath the doona; she could definitely feel her lovers tongue and fingers making full use of themselves inside her. She could hear herself talking but couldn't focus on what she was saying as the odd feeling of reaching a precipice came upon her and she found herself crying out her lovers name as she fell over the edge. Coming down she felt aroused beyond belief, especially when she heard the sounds and saw the bobbing motions Kitty made as she continued to lap every last drop from her. Slowly Kitty emerged from the doona, smiling cat-and-cream style, tenderly they kissed, Jubilee tasting herself on Kitty's tongue, nervously she pressed her lips to her ear and whispered,

"Can I…do you want me to?"

Kitty smiled and bringing Jubes left hand to her mouth, kissed it, taking the fingers in her mouth one at a time and sucking them, slowly she guided the hand down to her opening and kissed Jubilee again as they entered her. She jumped at the contact but murmured encouragement as the fingers skillfully stroked her. Jubilee had little to no idea what she was doing but it felt so right, and Kitty's moaning her name and coming all over her fingers showed she wasn't completely without ability. Releasing her and lying down against the pillows and rearranging the sheets, Jubilee smiled. Matching the expression Kitty lay down beside her and gathered her into her arms.

"So," Jubilee rested her head against Kitty's breast, listening to her heartbeat, "Do you still wanna use the…_thing_"

Kitty yawned, and began stroking her back absently, "Another time, for now I wanna sleep"

And curling into each others arms, with the bedroom lights still on and the bath still full of water. They did.

* * *

In the morning, a knock on the door woke them, not even waiting for permission Logan stuck his head in. Unshaven and in rumpled clothes his grief emanated from him, both girls sat up immediately, guilt and shame washing over them as they struggled to arrange the sheets for modesty. He didn't even notice, 

"Kitty" he asked, all life gone from his voice, "Can you take some breakfast to Rogue?"

* * *

Rogue lay curled on her bed, her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees. She had been like that for days now, leaving her bed only to shower and get dressed. Occasionally she would lose track of the days, sleeping through them and pacing endless nights. Sighing she buried her head in her pillow, swatting away a used tissue from the last of her crying sessions, they would come upon her suddenly, lasting either a couple of minutes or until she was too exhausted to continue. Sometimes she knew that she should get up, go outside, and talk to someone. But to get up would also mean to get dressed. To get dressed back into the clothes that had once imprisoned her, back when she had been a mutant. But the cure had been a trick, a flicker of light that had intruded on her darkness and given her a false hope. 

Oh she was still human, human as physically possible, but where her skin had once been a barrier, now it was her very humanity that had made her relationship with Logan possible in the first place.

And the tears started again, burning her swollen eyes, she rubbed them as tenderly as possible feeling the sting of contact upon the sore area.

_Salt in the wound_, she laughed at the old cliché, though at this point pouring salt into an open wound might help negate the pain from her emotional heartbreak.

She must have dozed off, or fallen into stupor, either way she was startled by the sound of someone knocking on her door. She made absolutely no move to answer it, she had no desire to talk to anyone.

"Marie" a gruff all to familiar voice whispered through the wood.

Especially him.

"Darlin' I know you're in there and I _know_ you're awake"

She closed her eyes, willing him to go away and leave her in peace, she heard him reposition himself, leaning against the doorframe and silently cursed, it was the sign that he wasn't going anywhere, at least not immediately.

"Aren't you gonna say something?"

He paused and she could visualize him straining his ears, desperate to hear even the slightest sound. She couldn't even bring herself to give him that.

"Marie darlin' please!" he sounded distressed, "Please just _let_ me hear the sound of your voice, just let me in, I wont say or do anything you don't want me to, I wont come near you I'll just sit in the corner…I don't care I just wanna be near you again darlin', _please_ Marie!"

And as per daily, he tried to force the door open, once again coming up against her dressing table. In the back of their minds they both knew that if he truly wanted to get into her room that no dressing table would stop him, heck a wall of fire wouldn't even do the trick. The half-hearted attempt to force his way in served, as a reminder to them both, that Rogue was the one keeping him out, _she_ was the one damaging their relationship. She could hear him sigh in defeat, "Darlin', if you need me…I'm not going anywhere, you know that"

But you probably should, she thought sadly, go up to Canada for a while, forget we were ever dating.

It'll probably be easier.

* * *

Next it was Jubilee's turn. She usually dropped by ten minutes or so after Logan's attempt. "Hey Chica…oww _fuck_!" 

And everyday would simply assume that Marie had moved the dressing table and unlocked the door just for her, Marie was beginning to wonder whether Jubes daily argument with the five plank thick varnished wood was beginning to cause any severe cranial trauma.

"Yeah…so, still locked in your room huh?"

Like Logan she opted with one-sided conversations, Marie slowly tuned out as Jubilee prattled on for her customary ten minutes before she heard the shy admission,

"So you know who and I did, you know last night"

She blinked in surprise, feeling guilt settle into the pit of her stomach, she should have been there for Jubes, should have offered what little advice she could. But even that couldn't stir her enough to rise and Jubilee's voice had drifted off. She heard her sigh,

"We're here for ya chica, I know you're pissed cause of what happened, but you cant blame yourself for this. You're an X-Man lots of freaking shit is gonna happen, I mean come on! Name one other person who you know whose come back from the dead, or been attacked by a Special Ops squadron. We've subscribed for a shit load of bullshit and we just have to roll with what happens"

What she said made sense, the X-Men were predominantly a tragically unhappy faction, often sacrificing personal wants and needs for the good of a society that turned against them at the drop of a hat. However, it had never mattered to Rogue until now, all she had endured, she had just dealt with quickly and moved on, the daily priorities such as school, homework and friends making her feel selfish in any attempt to linger on the bad stuff. Now though, she was taking time, because too much had happened to her too quickly and she was afraid that whatever came next would bowl her over for good.

So Jubilee whispered a final farewell to her and stepped away from the door, shaking her head to Logan who leant against the opposite wall, he bowed his head in grief.

* * *

Kitty came at meal times, after the first two days of Rogue's lock-up it became obvious to everyone that she wasn't going to be actively taking the necessary steps to feed herself. At first Kitty had phased through the wall to try to talk to her, unfortunately she had encountered an emotionally wrought Rogue and had found a hurtling book making for her head. Now she would phase the meal trays through the wall by her door and fumble around for the previous one. 

Kneeling down she focused on making the tray immaterial and pushed it gently through the wall, not wanting to upend it, and running her hand along the wooden floor on the other side found the previous dish. Bringing it through she paled considerably, she swallowed.

"What?" the question came from Logan and Jubilee who had picked up on Kitty's turmoil, slowly pulling herself to her feet Kitty held out the tray before them, showing what had caused her worry,

"This plate is completely untouched, she's stopped eating"

Both girls jumped as Logan kicked the wall viciously and started storming down the hall, cursing madly under his breath firstly in English and then when he ran out in Japanese, an affiliation that was anybodies guess. However, though they were scurrying after him like scared puppies Jubilee clasped Kitty's hand and gave her a quick reassuring smile, her eyes filled with relief. This was Logan, not the lost man setting up camp outside his girlfriends door, unsure of what to do. But the strong man who would go against the tide the moment he wanted to change a situation. They followed him as he weaved his way through the halls, storming into an empty classroom, Kitty pulled them to a halt at the threshold, ramming into Logan's back, not that he noticed two light weight girls run into him, not when he could possibly bench press them both. Scott sat at a desk, paperwork all around him, he looked up visibly paling at the sight of an angry Logan. He didn't even protest when Logan marched over and yanked him to his feet, dragging him by the arm down the hall, Kitty and Jubes still following as he threw the man into another classroom. Dr McCoy turned from the blackboard,

"You," Logan pointed to him, "Outside"

"You" he pushed Scott into a students desk, "Cover for him"

Probably believing it better not to argue both men obeyed his instructions. Dr McCoy starting stammering the moment they were out of earshot of the students,

"Now Logan I know that you're worried but I still think we should give Rogue time…"

"Fuck time" Logan responded, "No one in this goddamn place has ever gained anything by waiting around. And I think we've given Rogue enough time Furball, now you're the one that put her in there, you're the one getting her out"

"Logan" Hank held up his hands in defense, "I didn't force Rogue in there, I simply did my duty as a doctor…"

"And told her that she was sick for wanting to be with me" Logan growled, "You damn near broke her heart"

"Better that than her body, Logan I know it's difficult to accept but having gone most of her puberty and adulthood without being properly touched the sudden onslaught of contact for Rogue caused her to become hypersensitive and addicted to the experience, which is called…"

"I know what you called her you asshole! I know because I'm the one who had to deal with the shattered look in her eyes…but so help me Hank from now on, every day I have to endure this…is a day I cut off one of your appendages, I'll start with your toes and work my way up to your fingers"

Kitty silently tallied up a point for Hank McCoy on her mental scoreboard for taking Logan's abuse and somehow maintaining a passive appearance, it was a hard thing to do, especially when it was a known fact that the Wolverine didn't know how to bluff.

Suddenly the tension was broken by Storm emerging into the corridor, her usually perfect hair messy and her shirt rumpled, "If you can get me into Rogue's room, I might be able to get her out"

Though no one else had seemed to notice. Kitty took the opportunity to wonder why Storm was coming out of Piotr's room.

* * *

Storm smirked as she felt the large hand slide from her wrist to her shoulder, 

"Better watch that hand Piotr," she warned, turning her head to smile at him,

"It goes sideways and I'll go ahead and finish Rogue's job on your nose"

He shrugged carelessly, "I'm out of red paint anyway and blood would be useful right now"

She chuckled and leant back on the stool, resting against Piotr's chest, she looked at the canvas before her, "God Africa's certainly become an ugly place since I was there last" she joked, waving her hand to the bottom left corner, "Look at that tiger, clearly one of his parents was a zebra"

"Now Miss Munroe, there is absolutely nothing wrong with cross species mating- you told us that in Biology"

"I was referring to humans and mutants" she ran an arm up his chest and wrapped his around his neck, enjoying the feel of his muscles pressed against her back, "And stop calling me Miss Munroe, its Ororo"

"Ororo" he obeyed, clasping his arms about her waist, and pressing his lips to her clothed shoulder, "Ororo, Ororo, Ororo"

His lips moved to her neck, planting butterfly kisses over her skin and Storm purred with contentment. Piotr had come to her a few weeks ago, shortly after Hank had found her sleeping in the meeting room and asked for some private art lessons, some extra tutelage to improve his painting skills. Both of them had forgotten the fact that he was already becoming known in the art world for his remarkable works that occasionally drew in five digit figures and she was an art teacher of limited ability when it came to painting, though she could sculpt to shock the gods. The first class had been in the cramped little art room, around the other student's works, frustrated at the lack of room they had resolved to find a better place for the next lesson. Slowly they had played musical lessons around the mansion, ending up in the kitchen one late night, using ice-cream, tomato sauce and beer on a fine china plate to plan their next work. As always, Piotr managed to get the supplies on him, tomato sauce near his lips. Laughing Storm had swiped it away with her thumb, but had made the mistake of looking into Piotr's eyes.

She never should have looked into those deep blue eyes.

Somehow, it _may_ have been her fault, but she had ended up on his lap, his arms entrapping her against his strong frame. Strength, that was why she was attracted to Piotr, in a world of toppling plates, shifting sands and broken promises he was a strong fortress in which she could take refuge for a time. A period for which she could relinquish control, because despite Piotr being ten years her junior, his passion made him dominant.

And he was one heck of a handsome hunk.

He reached for her face now and turned it to his, bringing his lips down upon hers. They were in his bedroom, from lack of option more than sexual motive, the only obstacles here were Piotr's paintings, and Ororo was able to navigate her way around those as he taught _her_ some skills. However, painting was the last thing on their minds right now.

Ororo raised her free hand to his hair, running her hand through it, shifting herself against him on the small stool, gripping her waist he lifted her up and repositioned her so she straddled him. Breaking the kiss she grinned and bucked her hips against his, making promises with her eyes and confirming them with her hands. She and Piotr hadn't made love yet, in fact their relationship hadn't progressed beyond stolen kisses and pandering in dark corners. Ororo decided instead to stretch every part of it out and treasure it for as long as possible, because she couldn't begin to guess when she'd feel something this good again. And even this little moment was interrupted by the shouting in the hallway, startled they jumped apart, both understanding that their relationship would have to be secret for now. Cursing under her breath Ororo moved to the door and pressed her ear against it though she could guess what the cause of the matter was.

The currently incapacitated Rogue.

Resting her forehead against the door, she made the decision to step in, guessing Logan _would_ make good on this threat to take Dr McCoy's toes off.

It was a sign of how wrapped up everybody in the situation was that they didn't notice her even coming out of a bedroom with her lips swollen and her clothes wrinkled.

* * *

The procession gathered outside the bedroom of the girl in question, each hoping for the positive results required. Storm took Kitty's hand gently, squeezing it affectionately when the girl appeared distracted. Kitty nodded absently and stepped towards the wall, Storm hated phasing, it was really the body becoming intransient and able to pass through solid objects which really _wasn't_ a fun feeling. 

Over the years, Storm had seen Rogue's room on occasion, usually when she was popping her head in to deliver a message. Students who remembered their homes or had a place in their past with pleasant memories would often attempt to recollect it when decorating their rooms. She had seen rooms that resembled asylums, shelters, grandma's house. Rogue's reminded her of a hippie community, dream catchers and gauze scarves of varying warm colors graced the room, usually giving the impression of happiness.

The devastated girl lying curled on the bed was an unpleasant contrast. Her eyes were swollen, her face was red and blodgy and her hair was a scattered tangle around her.

Rogue doesn't do Damsel in Distress well, Storm mused, maybe that's why we never see her lose it in public, it doesn't help her looks any.

She must have been dozing, sitting on the bed Storm touched her shoulder gently and the girl jumped, "Logan?" she whispered groggily,

"No, Ororo"

"Oh" she rolled over, facing the window, sighing Storm stood on the bed, stepped over her legs and onto the floor, turning to face her and kneeling before her.

"I know you want to focus on you right now Rogue…but we could use you out there"

No response, desperate she sighed, looking down and blinking back tears.

"You see Rogue…I haven't told anyone this yet because I don't want them to think I'm a failure or become frightened but…Xavier's is in trouble, parents are just ditching unwanted children here the second there is the slightest hint of mutation. None of them are willing or able to pay for their upkeep…money is draining out of this place faster than we can count it…and Xavier's money hasn't been transferred to us yet. Then there are the oversized classes and the fact that whenever something in the mutant community goes wrong people come looking to me to get the X-Men to do something. We're only human, for lack of a better term I…" she took Rogue's hands in her own, "I know this is entirely selfish of me and I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you could take it but…I need your help"

* * *

Logan's head snapped up at the sound of something heavy scraping across the floor of Rogue's room. He held his breath, almost afraid to be hallucinating; the others noticed his stance and looked to the door eagerly. As if summoned by their hopes Marie emerged shyly from the room, looking worse for wear but giving a shy but reassuring smile to her friends. Jubilee bounded forward with gusto, seemingly determined to hug the life from her and Dr McCoy politely vanished into thin air. The others followed him as Marie stepped towards Logan, holding out a gloved hand in apology, taking it he pulled her to him in a bone-crushing hug, making sure not to touch her skin. He heard her sigh contently and wriggle herself further into his embrace, enjoying his scent after so many days separation. 

Logan knew he should be happy beyond belief in this moment, triumphant that his girl was taking positive steps on the road to recovery. Confident in her affection for him.

But all he could feel was disappointment that he hadn't been enough for her on his own.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I am so so so so so _so_ sorry that it took me forever to update, first i went overseas then i had to work around birthdays, parties, uni deferment, lots of work agh! this is just a quick link chapter, lots of moodiness, promise next chapter has lots of rogan and lots of actions coming up. a mutant makes a surprise return!!

* * *

Today is gonna be the day

That they're gonna throw it back to you

By now you should've somehow

Realized what you gotta do

I don't believe that anybody

Feels the way I do

About you now

Backbeat the word is on the street

That the fire in your heart is out

I'm sure you've heard it all before

But you never really had a doubt

I don't believe that anybody

Feels the way I do

about you now

And all the roads we have to walk are winding

And all the lights that lead us there are blinding

There are many things that I would

Like to say to you

But I don't know how

Because maybe

You're gonna be the one that saves me

And after all

You're my wonderwall

Today was gonna be the day

But they'll never throw it back to you

By now you should've somehow

Realized what you're not to do

I don't believe that anybody

Feels the way I do

About you now

And all the roads that lead you there were winding

And all the lights that light the way are blinding

There are many things that I would like to say to you

But I don't know how

I said maybe

You're gonna be the one that saves me

And after all

You're my wonderwall

I said maybe (I said maybe)

You're gonna be the one that saves me

And after all

You're my wonderwall

I said maybe (I said maybe)

You're gonna be the one that saves me (that saves me) 3X -Oasis Wonder wall

* * *

"Don't touch me"

Three simple words murmured in such a monotone voice that they could barely be construed as a plea, a statement or an order. In fact, upon hearing them the receiver of those words could easily question whether the speaker was awake or dreaming.

But Logan knew that the dream was long gone, lost somewhere beyond his capability of comprehension, only noticeable in the comparison of that perfect golden afternoon and the bitter moments he measured his life in now. Rogue was serious when she made that order, any attempt to belay would result in another screaming, tearful argument.

And he doubted he had the strength left for it.

But, being who he was he tried anyway.

"I'm not going to push you darlin'" he reassured softly, his hand hovering above her shoulder, "I just wanna hold you"

She craned her neck to look at him, her eyes hollow, with dark purple bags underneath them, a touch of splintery coldness within them, something he had never seen before, in all the time he had known her.

"I don't _wanna_ be touched," she growled, glaring spitefully at him, before turning away and settling her eyes once again on that lovely piece of wall, she was only days away from stripping the paper with that glare of hers. Logan removed his hand from her personal space, resisting the urge to ask the most obvious of questions.

_Then why are you in _my_ bed?_

The question was never asked though; because he didn't care why she was there, as long as Rogue was there he still had hope. The night following her emergence from her room she had stumbled into his in a long white nightgown that reminded him of the first night she had been in there. He had been lying in the darkness and had reached yearningly for her; she had ignored him climbing onto the bed and dragging herself up to the pillows where she had turned her back on him and, in a little curled ball, fallen asleep. It had become routine, at night, Rogue would come into his room, ready for bed and he would reach for her. Always she would shy away from him, opting instead to sleep above the covers, with her back to him. In the morning, she would produce her clothes from thin air, using his shower after him and disappear for the day, literally disappear. With the help of Kitty and her contacts with the right students, Logan was able to get blueprints of all known secret passages inside the mansion, but he still couldn't figure out where Rogue was going. Whenever he tried asking her she would either ignore him or give him a death stare, occasionally he would provoke an argument. Though argument was an understatement, voices high as they could go, screaming blue murder, and every insult and curse word they could invent, once they had almost come to physical blows with only Logan's long fought for restraint stopping him. Then he had seen a look in her eyes, a glint that was there for barely a second, which had almost moved his hand again. Ignoring it he had turned angrily away from her and let his emotions drive him down to the garage to his motorbike, he had seriously contemplated leaving the mansion but Hank and Scott, foreseeing this, had cut the wires of the bike, ensuring it wouldn't start. When he had stormed into the med centre and confronted Hank, the doctor's reply had chilled him to the bone.

_Because Rogue needs you right now Logan, and with you gone, I wouldn't trust that girl alone in the room with a decent length of rope._

Therefore, Logan stayed, though it was killing him to see his girl like this, unable to do anything that didn't provoke her to argument, no longer able to even touch her though he longed to more than anything else in existence.

He stayed.

* * *

"Okay kids," Kitty clapped her hands, facing the young students, "We're gonna play Jumpstart now, get in a circle and Sean you start"

They ambled into the centre of the spare room to obey her instructions and Kitty took the chance to retreat to the few desks in the room and grab her drink bottle. Taking a quick swig she checked her watch, she almost sighed in relief, she had timed the class just right, the kids wouldn't have enough time to become bored before the bell sounded. She took the brief break to wonder what she was missing in her English class, they had just started Great Gatsby and she didn't want to fall behind. However, Mr. Summers had promised her that he would give her extra tutorials, if needed, if they could find the time for it.

Because the mansion was quite seriously and quite quickly descending into chaos.

Too many children were being dumped at the mansions gates, overwhelming numbers everyday. Some too young for mutations to have developed, some not even mutants. All expecting Xavier's to take them in, expenses paid. It had got to the point where even the prestigious academy run by Emma Frost in Massachusetts, an academy which prided itself on accepting humans and mutants was turning them away. This caused no small amount of difficulty as those who had nursed dreams of grandeur, of becoming heroic X-Men, were being thrown back down to reality when they were told they had no mutation or the school couldn't take them at this current time. More than once this had caused trouble with the paparazzi who hung about the land borders eagerly recording and snapping photos as Cyclops, Beast, and at one point Wolverine, had to race to the gates to prevent rioters from breaking onto the grounds.

Those that were allowed into the school, those that were mutants still expected expenses paid and, frankly, the school budget didn't extend that far. Already the X-Men and teachers had given up their pay and were supporting themselves from their own savings. Hank was even going so far as to try and finance the school with the funding he received as a politician for 'personal expenses', but Ororo had been forced to refuse the money reminding him of the jail sentence he could receive for such fraud. People like Kitty, with loving parents/guardians, were fine, they had always paid school fees and a quick call could get her a few extra dollars. People like Jubilee and Rogue, orphans or disowned kids who had already arrived at the school with barely a nickel to their name, had more trouble. Jubilee had done her best; cutting her budget into so many fractions Kitty was honestly wondering how the girl was financing any sort of lifestyle and refusing Kitty's offers to borrow money. And Logan had simply added Rogue's expenses to his own and covered them both, most likely returning to his Neanderthal cage-fighting, gambling hand-to-mouth style way of life. An option many of the other males of the mansion were considering, as students such as Kitty had to cover classes as Storm argued, pleaded and manipulated every five, six or seven digit figured being they could get to answer their calls. Right now, she was agreeing to have _another_ dinner with Mr. Buchanan, some overpowering oil tycoon who had tried to crush Scott's fingers with a handshake when he had insisted on chaperoning Ororo to drinks at the man's palatial residence.

However as the bell rang and Kitty gathered up her folders and bag, waiting patiently for the stampede of students to break down the door, _before_ she braved the hallway, she wasn't thinking about the schools current problems. Instead, she was focusing on what she perceived to be the relationship between her ex Piotr and her teacher Storm, and her opinion on the matter. He was twenty-one and she was thirty-six, just having three years less difference than Rogue and Wolverine, but that was different, everyone had always wondered if there was something between the Canadian and River Rat, _this_ was a complete surprise. Though she couldn't even be sure if she was imagining things or not, only her old romance with the Russian and her surrogate daughter relationship with the African Goddess had raised her to the suspicion. For two people who had never had anything more than a distant acquaintance to suddenly be emerging from a bedroom and spending hours talking in the kitchen…

She was trying to think this through logically, ignoring the affection she felt for the both of them, but she couldn't possibly ignore the sense of wrongness, the _unpalatable_ taste it left in her mouth. With Wolverine and Rogue, it was a chivalrous hero rescuing the damsel in distress. With Storm and Colossus, it was an older woman panting after a younger man, a teacher enjoying an affair with a student. She shivered with disgust and looking to her timetable realized with a sense of horror that her next period was T.A. History with Storm _and_ Piotr.

"No" she murmured to herself, shaking her head, she was tired and had homework to do, darting to the wall of the hallway, she phased through and hurried along the wall space, trying to remember the layout of the school walls.

Stepping out of the walls, she ran up the stairs and into the library, startling a study group and causing Hank to rise to his feet in consternation. From there she was able to cut through several bedrooms, knowing the occupants would be in class and reach her bedroom. Though as one of the late Professor Xavier's Ethics students she had decided- as a rule- to never use her powers to intrude where she wasn't invited, in day-to-day matters, she ignored that now as she raced to the sanctuary of her room. Eager to lock the troubles of the world outside for a little while and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Though she knew that the chaos was inch-by-inch intruding upon her sanctuary as well, if not physically then in her mind, an unavoidable darkness seeping through the walls as easily as she did.

As if to escape it she broke into a run and reaching her room, decided against phasing in favor of being able to yank open the door and slam it behind her. Imagining that she was locking out the evil, sighing in relief she opened her eyes, not even realizing she had shut them and jumped when she saw that she wasn't alone.

"Enjoy the exercise chica?"

Sitting on her bright pink doona Jubilee held a small brush over her toe, studiously painting the nails a ridiculously fluro yellow.

Kitty blushed, "What are you doing in here?"

"Girlfriend support"

"What?"

Jubilee made a face and looked up, "Seriously chica, you've skipped every one of Ms Munroe's classes for the last week! Sit down and fess up already"

Sighing Kitty trudged across the room, dropping her books on the floor and throwing herself onto her bed buried her face in her pillows. "Uh…I hate this!"

"Skipping class…?"

"No, all the stuff that's making me skip class, I don't skip class…usually, but…" she sat up, facing her girlfriend and hoping to find a level of understanding she hadn't yet needed.

"Jubilee do you get the feeling that you're, we're…"

"All spinning outta control?" Jubilee replaced the lid of the nail polish and sat it down looking her directly in the eye, complete honesty in her gaze, "That when you look around and see the emotional trauma everyone is facing, you wonder how their going to survive. You look at events and feel as though they are leading you to some horrific climax that will be monstrous in its finality that…as much as you're trying to hold onto something secure everything around you is a world in itself of toppling plates, shifting sands and broken promises?"

She held the tension for a moment, as if testing its weight before giving a Rogue-like smirk, in her attempt to dispel it, "Yeah I get that feeling"

Kitty wasn't quite sure how she got across the room, but before she knew it she was cradling her girlfriend's face in her hands and pressing her lips to hers as gently as possible. Jubilee molded against her, stopping only when she tasted Kitty's tears on her lips, "Chica" she murmured pulling away, "Chica, hush…"

"I love you" Kitty wept, "I don't care what anyone thinks, what happens or what you feel…I love you"

Jubilee giggled, pleased by the reassurance of this fact, "More than Sam?"

At once Kitty's face soured, "I hate you"

"He likes you," she teased, kneeling on the bed, "Ooh, Sam likes you, he wants to kiss you, he wants to go down on you and lick your…hey!"

Kitty knew that she was wrong to use her powers but she figured phasing Jubilee through the bed was justified. She allowed the girl a few moments panic, as she couldn't figure out why her world had gone dark before she reached down and yanked up the loose sheets.

"Done?" Kitty asked, Jubilee simply huffed and crossed her arms, lying down on the dusty floorboards, feigning anger. Chuckling Kitty slid in beside her, stretching her arm across her body and resting it on Jubilee's waist, "Sorry honey" she pecked her cheek,

Jubilee giggled, "He does like ya, you know"

Kitty shuddered dramatically, "He's a perverted freak, more acne than Amy Winehouse and more mistakes than Britney Spears"

"Oh" Jubilee was in the mood for teasing, "So you think of him like you would girls huh?"

Rolling her eyes Kitty rolled onto her side, resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, "There's only one girl I think off in that way honey"

"Rogue?"

"Jubes!"

"Sorry," she stretched luxuriously, "Love you too chica"

Lying under the bed, in each other's arms, they were too preoccupied with their contentment to notice their bedroom door silently close.

* * *

Piotr strode through the dormitory halls, frowning as he saw Sam Brut scurry away from Kitty and Jubilee's room. He had his head down but when Piotr stepped in his path, he looked up with the unmistakable face of a guilty boy; crouching down further he ducked around the tall Russian and all but ran from the man. Lips curling in disgust Piotr made a mental note to warn Kitty that Sam was prying; it didn't even occur to him that Sam could have been invited into their room. Nobody would want Sam Brut within ten feet of him or her, let alone in their room. Sam Brut was a teenage nightmare, not the drinking, partying kind, but the acne-ridden loner that panted over girls, which he could never get i.e. all of them. At 5ft 4, he was overly thin, with black hair that was slick with grease, that didn't get better when you reached his face, which couldn't have been handsome under any circumstance, was ridden with acne, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads-all the alphabet. His personality wasn't much better, there was something about him that generally set people on edge, repulsed them, the way he would sneak around and try to peek in rooms, watch situations. Even Storm avoided any unnecessary contact and Wolverine had threatened to cut his eyes out when he'd caught the boy looking funny at Rogue.

He wasn't a guy Piotr wanted hanging round his ex-girlfriend.

Not that I want Kitty for myself, Piotr mused with a smile, not that I want anything more than what I have right now.

For though the mansion was facing troubles, though the world outside was becoming a darker and more dangerous place, Piotr was amazingly happy with his life.

And the reason was only one room away.

Taking care to ensure his enviable ecstasy didn't show on his face, he pushed open the door of the office, looking around with feigned curiosity. No students.

"Logan's taking my class for me," a tired voice explained, drawing his gaze to the large desk that Xavier had imported from England, along with his educated accent. Indeed his entire office/classroom was rumored to have been removed from the study of one of his Oxford Professors. Unlike the teachers who had wept over his brilliance, this particular one had mocked him for his premature baldness and sworn that the upstart American would never achieve greatness. Unfortunately this teacher had lacked skill on the stock market and upon his death, the family had been in financial ruin when Xavier had brought the ancestral three thousand acres that resided in Kent. And supposedly leveled it and built an overdone, tasteless casino, shopping mall and American Holiday Inn with a hidden brothel somewhere. Petty revenge.

But sweet nonetheless.

Nobody was quite sure about this legend, but Kitty Pryde who had been to England for a sabbatical claimed to have stayed in the hotel.

Piotr still had his doubts.

He wasn't thinking of those however as he closed and locked the office door, padding behind Ororo Munroe's large leather chair and caressing her silken hair. She sighed and relaxed slightly, leaning against him, rolling her shoulder blades, getting the hint he moved his hands to her shoulders and began to massage them, pressing on her knots.

"Your back is like concrete" he chastised and she nodded, "I have no idea how Xavier managed this but its damn near killing me"

"Anything I can do?"

"Yeah" she grunted, "Lower near my spine"

He complied and she stretched, becoming pensive, suddenly resenting her role. Hating the stress, hating all the burdens that had been heaped on her shoulders simply because Scott, Xavier's real protégée, the one that had been groomed for the position almost from his first step over the threshold had decided to pull out at the last minute. Moreover, did she have any help? No, god forbid the other X-Men should step in! Scott was still 'grieving' the selfish bastard, Logan was tied up with trailing behind Rogue like a lost puppy, Rogue was busy having an emotional breakdown, Hank was negotiating something somewhere, Kitty and Jubilee weren't of legal age to be doing anything but explore their sexual orientation and Nightcrawler had taken a million-dollar-contract with Circe di Solei promising the benefits would go to charity. The only way she got anything out of the lazy bastards was by bullying them into the chores.

Piotr was the one exception, he took all the art classes, supervised the children, hired new cleaners, cooks and gardeners when the others walked off the job for delayed pay. With everyone overlooking their fluent Russian and lack of identification and- more importantly- he expected nothing of Storm. He didn't chastise her for the fact that the Danger Room hadn't seen any action since before Alcatraz, understanding that Bobby Drake's ghost still lingered in the vast space. He didn't reprove her when she overslept, stumbling into the office with yesterdays clothes. He didn't make accusations when she feigned interest with Mr. Buchanan. he didn't do any of those things because he had grown up in Russia with a starving family, he still remembered the look on his little Illyana's face, his baby sister for which he had gone to the very gates of Hell to provide her with food and warm clothes. He had even agreed to help smuggle arms to and from the States for the money, risking it all until Scott Summers and Jean Grey had, on the Professor's orders interceded one of the runs and frantically negotiated with him while AK-47's aimed at them from all sides. Promising him double what the _Family_ was paying they had bought him to the school, where he had found the art room and indulged in his creativity to the awe of the rest of the student body.

Ororo smiled suddenly as if sensing his thoughts,

"I remember when Scott and Jean first brought you in, you were only fifteen but already so scared of the world" she reached behind her and patted his cheek, "And then you found the art room and haven't left it since"

"Hmmm" he pressed his face against her palm, "Speaking about the art room…"

"If you've run out of room for your work, just stick it in storage I'm sorry but I've got no other space"

"It's not that…" he inhaled sharply and grimaced, "It's about the students and some things they're saying…"

"About us?" she finished, her temporary serenity gone, she laughed bitterly

"People think I'm leading you astray on the path of carnal desire"

"We've barely even kissed!" he protested weakly, still rubbing her shoulders distractedly.

"I know my dear" she patted his hand in comfort,

"People think what's between us is disgusting"

"Then let them think that" she decided suddenly, "I care what they think, its legal and that's all that matters"

He stopped there, frowning down at the crown of her head, "_All_ that matters?"

Realizing too late her mistake Ororo winced and slowly, ever so slowly, pulled herself to her feet, swaying with exhaustion. Wordlessly Piotr slipped his arms about her shoulders to support her and she pressed the left side of her face to his chest, fixing her ear over his ribcage where she could hear his heartbeat. "Everything around me is falling to pieces, everything is becoming so difficult. Everything but you Piotr, my one constant, my strength, my Colossus. You're the one thing that keeps me standing, even though you're so young, so gentle, when you hold me you somehow shield me from all the evils in this world. I don't know if what's between us is love, lust or lunacy, perhaps it's a bit of all three. I only know that it's the best thing I have right now and that I cant let it be weakened by the concern of some oblivious teenagers"

Sighing she tilted her head and grazed her nose against his jaw line, "and _that's_ all that matters" she smiled wistfully, "Happy?"

"Da" Piotr murmured, his accent heavier with emotion, "More than you know"

And this time it was him to failed to notice that the office door, the door which he had closed _and_ locked, was silently shutting back into place.

* * *

In the corridor, the sound of snorting momentarily distracted him. Under heavy eyelids he turned and saw the Stepford Cuckoos, stuck in their usual model poses, eyeing him like a piece of shit. As one, they turned up their noses and strutted away from him, eager to leave the space he temporarily occupied. And he knew that as they did this they were communicating on the telepathic link that the student body shared. A thin line that Xavier had established which existed just inside the mainstream mind without being invasive, resembling internet messaging with the Cuckoos acting as newswomen. He himself could hear the message.

_Attention students, Sam Brut is in Xavier's hallway, just outside Miss Munroe's office, please steer clear for your own personal interest_

Answering gratitude and harsh lines filtered quickly into the link, with the students either assuming Sam wasn't listening or simply not caring whether he knew what they thought of him. Usually this infuriated him, and he would indulge in long sessions of revenge planning. Today, however, he was too excited to care.

It was all happening at last.

It was payback time.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N- So so so so so so sorry this took so long, have been super busy. Anyhow this is a nice long chapter...long long long chapter. answers will be in the next chapter and if you were confused bout Marie/Dr McCoy the answers in here.

Again sorry.

* * *

I'm here just like I said  
Though its breaking every rule I've ever made  
My racing heart is just the same  
Why make it strong to break it once again?  
And I'd love to say I do  
Give everything to you  
But I can never now be true  
So I say...

I think I'd better leave right now  
Before I fall any deeper  
I think I'd better leave right now  
Feeling weaker and weaker  
Somebody better show me how  
Before I fall any deeper  
I think I'd better leave right now

I'm here so please explain  
Why you're opening up a healing wound again  
I'm a little more careful  
Perhaps it shows  
But if I lose the highs, at least I'm spared the lows  
Bridge  
Now I tremble in your arms  
What could be the harm  
To feel my spirit calm  
So I say..**  
**

I think I'd better leave right now  
Before I fall any deeper  
I think I'd better leave right now  
Feeling weaker and weaker  
Somebody better show me how  
Before I fall any deeper  
I think I'd better leave right now- Will Young, Leave right now

* * *

_It was late at night and he couldn't sleep, it had been happening more and more recently, too much on his mind-not enough to drive him to exhaustion. Slipping from his cold sheets, he shivered in the crisp air. The heater in his bedroom had been broken for weeks now, right now, he was wrapped head to toe in his warmest clothes. Socks, track pants, t-shirt, sweater, beanie. Shivering visibly as he crossed his bedroom, unwittingly huddled over and pressed against the wall, seeking nonexistent warmth. His toes hurt from the cold and he found himself remembering, with first-time envy, Pyro, the boy who forever ran a temp of 109, able to manipulate flame and heat whenever he decided that wasn't warm enough. Once outside his bedroom, in the dim lighting of the hallway, lights forever left on at the weakest voltage, so as to guide the way for the insomniacs but not disturb the sleeping patterns of the more mentally sound, he tried to determine where to go. The fireplace in the library would have long since grown cold; the rec room would have at least one window open. The underground areas had permanent air-con, whereas the kitchen had gas ovens, a wall heater and a shot of vodka if nothing else worked. _

_Should have known._

_The percentage of night-wanderers in the mansion was ridiculously higher than anywhere else he knew of, and the statistics soared when all X-Men were on the premises. Whether it was the phantom post-battle adrenaline, still shaking them at night months after battle, the ghosts that haunted them yet, they were unable to sleep and the kitchen seemed to be the general meeting place. But usually when insomnia hit the X-Men, it hit in two stages, with most of them up and around bout midnight back in bed by at least two. That was when the Wolverine shooed them out of the kitchen anyway. He was the second stage, wandering round anywhere between one and six, usually alone._

_Should have known._

_Lately there had been signs that Logan was no longer spending his nightly musings alone, _

_Two stools seated around the island…_

_Two tumblers resting on the cleaning rack…_

_The tumblers having actually been cleaned…_

_Bobby had known Logan was no longer drinking alone._

_And there was an extremely limited number of people Logan would spend that much time with._

_Should have known._

_Who else could it really be? _

_He heard the sultry alluring lilt of his Southern Belle girlfriend, a smothered laugh and then the deep, warm, roughened intonation of her protector. Bobby stopped just outside the kitchen door, wondering whether he was welcome in there or whether he would be intruding. He tried to shake his head at his own foolishness, had he not been shivering so violently, it was his space as well and the door was wide open he would hardly be stumbling in to a secret meeting._

_Should have known. _

_He couldn't see them at first, the bulbs in the kitchen had been dimmed till only a golden glow bouncing off the metal appliances reflected any light. An empty bottle of champagne sat on the island with two long stemmed glasses standing side by side. They threw the black satin behind them into distortion. _

_A long black dressing gown, one he would recognize anywhere, draped carelessly over the island, slowly curling to the floor. _

_The floor._

_The floor on which Rogue knelt. _

_Bobby saw the tips of her toes in his peripheral vision and followed it with a turning of his head. _

_Toes became the soles of feet, curling up into heels pointing in the air and descending down softly toned legs, her knees cast in shadow and blending into the floor, up again peach colored thighs, spread slightly and shimmering in the faint light. With the wisp of dark curls visible between them and marking the point where they became firm rounded buttocks, up further still a long expanse of smooth back, the spine just visible in the untainted skin. Interrupted only by the uneven falling of brunette waves that cascaded down, pattering against the flesh with the softest of sighs, covered by the murmurs in Rogue's throat, as she moved with the utmost obedience to the unspoken orders of the hands gripping her fragile head. _

_Hands that were coarse roughened and covered with smatterings of dark hair, similar to the wet curls between Rogue's legs. Hands that tangled themselves into the white strands and brunette locks, thus controlling her every move, easing her down slowly from her neck until her buttocks pressed against her heels, and then up again rocking on her knees. Hands that had shifted her just ever so slightly to the right, enabling Bobby to see the pouting cupid bow lips, melded to the wet, long thick flesh she tended to so lovingly, her eyes closed as her tongue darted out to lick the tip. Her hands stroking the round bundles on either side, sneaking down to grip the muscled marble for support as their one body moved faster and faster. _

_Suddenly a gasp and Bobby watched as Rogue's back arched and the beautiful lips parted as a trickle of golden syrup seeped down her chin, a quick finger captured it and brought it back to the lips. The tongue darting out to savor it…_

_Quaking laughter…_

_Swaying hair…_

_Rogue turning her face, her cheek resting against the Wolverine's legs…_

_The windows to her soul fluttering open…_

_Desire filled orbs focusing on his shattered heart…_

"_Enjoy the show sugar?"_

A weary sigh, "Bobby you're confusing reality with fantasy again"

The young man looked up and from across the small sparse room, glared at the middle-aged man in the white lab coat.

"And how would you know?"

"Well" the doctor leaned over to his desk and grabbed a clipboard from the top of the pile, "For starters…huh Rogue's skin was completely toxic at the time of this event, to be that uncovered would have risked the Wolverine's life…you mention champagne on the kitchen bench, last week it was scotch, week before that it was vodka, the week before that beer. Every time you tell this story, it becomes more and more sexual and fantastical. In fact, I now know enough about Rogue to take her place in a round of 'Twenty Questions'"

Bobby found himself questioning whether the doctor was actually allowed to speak to him in such a manner, he sincerely doubted it. Unorthodox though the doctor was, so far he had been the only one able to initiate a response from Bobby, the only one able to have him try to explain what happened to him.

Why he had hurt the one he loved most.

"Does it matter?" Bobby murmured, addressing both himself and the doctor.

"Does what matter?" the doctor clutched his board eagerly, hoping beyond belief that he was finally making progress, after months and months of dead ends.

"Does it matter that they weren't psychically cheating on me? Or that they weren't thinking of each other like that? They were…she wasn't faithful to me"

"With Logan or with someone else?"

"With Logan…she would never…not with anyone else…he wouldn't have allowed it"

"Then how was she unfaithful?"

He decided to leave it there, standing up he excused himself from the room knowing Bobby Drake would find his own way back to his quarters when he was ready, his patient was surprisingly reliable in matters like that. Despite his powers, despite the reason he was in the mental institution Bobby Drake was relatively harmless, the only time he resembled the broken man who had hurt his girlfriend

was in therapy sessions, when he was no longer able to hide from himself.

And they were making progress, the doctor had to believe that. The man was too good a person to spend the rest of his life behind closed doors because of one mistake; he would find a way to help Bobby, to heal him and restore him back to society.

Probably not with the young woman waiting in the lobby however.

"Doctor Dempsey" he stopped wincing as the southern lilt reached him. Damn Southerners, never knew when to quit, had started with the Civil War and was still going. Especially with this one, he turned on his heel, "No Miss D'Ancanto he's not ready to speak to you yet, try again another day"

'Cause you need more encouragement to turn up every freaking day'

"When?" she demanded, suddenly loosing her previously calm demeanor and attracting the attention of those nearby. Dr Dempsey gave them all a quick tight smile and taking the young woman under the elbow led her to a bay of chairs forcing her down into one across from him. She glared at him and in one fluid movement broke her arm from his hold and twisted his wrist, he winced at the little stab of pain and the knowledge that he probably deserved it. Though her constant presence annoyed him, she had been extremely valuable in her ability to present a _mostly_ unbiased account of her relationship with Bobby, giving several key events that may have led to his breakdown.

Didn't make her any less annoying, though in the back of his mind was the smug knowledge that if he ever got sick of his current job there was a gold mine of mentally screwed patients stewing in Westchester.

"I'm sorry but Bobby is unable to take any setbacks, he's still imagining you and this Logan guy sleeping together _before_ the incident took place"

"Not possible" she responded automatically, from long habit brought about by these talks. Dempsey mentally rolled his eyes, overtly aware of that simple fact.

"I know but it's what he believes and until he is able to use such logic again and realize that he will get over that I don't want him being reminded of what he lost"

"So there is no chance of him coming back to the mansion?"

"Not quite yet no"

"Okay"

Rising as gracefully as always she gave him a polite smile and parting nod.

Despair written in every inch of her frame.

"Are you alright?" he asked instinctively, frowning with concern when she shook her head,

"No- and I'm not sure I will be until I can get over the guilt of what Logan and I did. I'm pretty sure I'm being punished for that now"

"Doubt it…"

"And people once doubted the world being round…if you'll excuse me I have somewhere to be"

* * *

Rogue waited until she broke the doors of the mental institution before she began breathing again, tears stinging her eyes. She had been so sure that today…

But she'd been wrong, again and again…and again

Tomorrow would likely be a slap in the face as well.

But she'd keep trying.

Ever since the day Dr McCoy had told her of her sickness, her addiction to...well Logan, she had fostered the idea that perhaps she was being punished in some way. She believed in karma, or kismet or whichever belief system came up with the idea 'what goes around comes around'

And though she couldn't really figure out the pattern or route it was taking she was certain that helping Bobby get better would set things straight.

Or at least relieve the burden of guilt she felt every time she saw Logan.

Logan…Logan…her sweet protector, always taking care of her, always looking out for her, especially after her 'curing'.

"_I'll love you, Rogue…Marie, I'll love you when…"_

Logan!

"_When you're human, when you're weak and need my protection" his voice had changed, deepened, coarsened. Frightened she looked up. And saw Bobby gone, replaced by…_

"_Logan!"_

_She screamed as the gun fired._

She had finally figured out what that dream of hers meant. Though there was the chance she was simply being a foolish, insecure remnant of her teenage years…part of her was worried that the only reason Logan was with her now was because she needed him, she was the damsel in distress and that it appealed to his ego. However while she couldn't change being human she could change her situation by restoring Bobby back to health, getting him back to the mansion and then figuring out her way from there.

It was a semblance of a plan.

* * *

"What do you want?" he demanded sharply, not bothering to even break his count as he lifted the weights above his head.

Stunned at having been caught the student moved further into the exercise room, clearly afraid of the annoyed Wolverine.

"If I tell you something, what will you give me?"

"The chance to live" he snarled, finishing the weights and sitting up to recoil at the student before him.

The Slime Ball.

He knew that as a teacher, however loosely that term was used, he wasn't supposed to discriminate students but this one Sam Brut, this one just set his hair on ends.

It wasn't that the boy was an outcast, because Logan was the last person to judge against that, both he and Marie had been outcasts before finding the mansion. But even as outcasts they hadn't been…like _him_, he was supposed to be accepting however when he saw the slime ball moving in on any female student he would call the girl over for some menial reason, give her a chance to escape.

They always thanked him.

And now the kid was daring to interrupt him,

In the middle of his anger venting exercise,

To try to strike a deal with him!

"Tell me and get out" he threatened, seeing the boy glance at his muscled arms and quake in terror.

Sometimes being the Wolverine had its advantages.

"I know where Rogue's going during the day" he gushed, his eyes flying about the room as his face twitched.

Logan froze,

'Oh not that, please anything but that'

Though he would have given any part of him, heart, mind, soul. Any part of him to have known that and thus be able to help his darling, he couldn't…not from this…

"She's been getting a taxi from just outside the school…"

"Where?"

"There…there and back, almost the same taxi driver everyday and he always takes her to the same…"

"Where?"

"Of course I double checked with the place and they…"

"_Where?_"

"Vales, just outside Westchester…the place where they're…"

"Where they're keeping Bobby Drake" Logan finished dully, drowning out the boys voice with the noise that came from the shattering of his heart.

* * *

It didn't matter that he had a P.E. class that he was meant to cover, it didn't matter that he was still dressed in his black tracksuit pants and wife beater. He let his feet lead him down to the garage, possibly passing students, possibly having been undetected. He found his way to a black, non-descript Jeep, the ones that the mansion had in abundance. All which had spare keys in the glove boxes.

The garage doors slid open as he eased the car out, driving with feigned ease, anyone seeing him would simply assume that he was running an errand, perhaps going grocery shopping or driving for the sake of it. They would have to be sitting next to him and looking into his eyes to realize that he was in shock, operating on autopilot, terrified that he would suddenly wake and find that his heart had stopped, that he had died and not yet discovered it.

"_I'll bet even now she's crawling into the bed of a boy her own age…and getting a lot more out of it with him then she would with you"_

How long had it been since he had last kissed her? Touched her? Held her fragile, naked body against his own and left her weeping with pleasure?

Days, weeks, _months._

He had gone all that time without her, had lain beside her at night all but choking with the desire to be vulnerable in her arms again. But he had respected her…

Had she respected him?

Could she have possibly…

No. He shook that thought from his head as he pulled onto the main roads, it was pure stupidity and unworthy of consideration. Marie wasn't perfect, despite his belief system his logic was able to accept that fact, but regardless of Bobby's suspicions, in spite of his one flicker of doubt she would never do something like that. Even if she was unhappy in their relationship she would never cheat on him.

She wasn't that girl.

Even if she was sneaking away to see her ex boyfriend.

* * *

The mental institution was built in white washed 1970's style, with barbed wire fencing and straight, monotonous green lawn. Three wide steps led to the glazed glass double doors, which would likely lead to a pastel blue or other neutrally colored reception room. He didn't really care, because Marie was perched on the edge of the second step, her arms clasped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees, wrapped in her emerald green jacket. Probably waiting for her taxi ride home, it didn't matter though…when he pulled the jeep into the parking lot her head shot up and her face resembled a deer caught in the headlights. He braked but didn't bother killing the ignition, he settled his gaze on the steering wheel but was still able to see the side mirror. Was still able to see Marie compose her features and trip down to the car as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

She opened the passenger side door and slid in beside him, her scent immediately revealed her to him, salt and adrenaline.

Tears and Fear.

He opened his mouth to say something, to reassure her but he couldn't think…part of him was still in shock, as if he was acting a part.

So they drove in silence, both of them studiously keeping their eyes from the other, Logan could hear her fidgeting with her hands and longed to take them. Sighing he hit the indicator and, once off the main road, pulled over onto the gravel. He killed the engine and settled down in silence, focusing on the rustling of the leaves outside and the twittering bird that just avoided flying into their car.

Marie took a shuddering breath and stole a glace at Logan,

"Do you understand why I did it?" she asked uncertainly, he leaned back in his seat, looking out his window,

"Yes…no…I don't know" he closed his eyes and reached blindly for her hand, she grasped it in both of hers, clutching it desperately,

"I wanted to put things right with Bobby…so they could be right with us," she explained eagerly, trying to make sense of the logic that had worked so well in her head before.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, resignedly re-opening his eyes,

"I don't know" she replied truthfully, confused herself on that point. Why hadn't she told Logan? he was hardly the poster boy for mental health but perhaps he could have helped.

"You could have trusted me…don't you trust me?"

"I'm sorry"

"What's happening to us?" Where had they gone wrong? They'd been so perfect when they'd first started out…

"I don't know" her voice broke and he saw tears fall from her eyelids; he unclasped his seatbelt and reached over to do the same for her. But he wasn't fast enough to stop her from speaking,

"We had a really good start Logan…I remember being so happy with you…and then…and then Scott came back and Doctor McCoy said I was a nymphomaniac for wanting to be with you…of course Storm basically told me that I had to get over myself…but…Logan…I'm so sorry…I wanna make things work between us sugar that's why I went to help Bobby…"

"Shush" Logan lifted her as easily as a rag doll across the space and onto his lap, cradling her as she buried her face in his neck and sobbed, "I'm sorry Logan…I'm so sorry"

Tears stung his own eyes as he kissed her hair, burying his nose in her ivory strands, willing her scent to commit to his memory, wishing that time would freeze them forever in this moment, possibly one of their last together.

"We're not gonna make it are we?" he suddenly grasped, clutching her too him all the more desperately, her tears soaked through his wife beater and she tangled her hands into the cloth. They rocked together in grief until Marie was able to speak again,

"No…we're not…but…" she leant back and looked into his eyes, stroking the side of his face, "I don't think it's anything we did…it's just…we didn't have the best timing and…the circumstances weren't that great either…but…"

It was on the tip of her tongue to say the three words that in the three months they had been dating they hadn't yet spoken, but she couldn't do it. Not now, not when they were in the final stages of their relationship. So she substituted with, "What do you want to do?"

"Head up to Canada for a bit" he decided almost instinctively, whenever he needed to recover or disappear or forget a heart-wrenching pain he would go back North and take solace in his homeland. She nodded and absently kissed his jaw, numb as she climbed back into her seat, clipping her seatbelt back on.

* * *

Marie managed to keep control of her emotions for the better part of the ride home, she even managed an, albeit strained, smile at some of the younger students wreaking havoc in the garage when she and Logan got back. Stepping out of the car she looked across the rooftop and met his eye, her throat clenched and she recognized the symptoms of another impending fit of tears, her breath coming in short shallow bursts she began coordinating her way from the garage, nearly tripping and breaking her neck on a stray tennis ball. A strong hand caught her and the pain in her chest hit new levels of agony, her vision swam with tears and her mind became clogged with memories of past happiness and easy affection between her and Logan.

_His dog tags sliding into her open hand, cool metal against warm palm_

"_I'll be back for these"_

_Hurrying into the foyer to receive an armful of smiling Canadian, her nose instantly full of petrol, beer and the woodland musk. _

"_Did you miss me?"_

'_Of course'_

"_Not really"_

_Sitting on a hard chair, staring blankly in front of her. Trying to focus on Storm ahead of her as her hand slipped into Bobby's, fear seeping a cold heaviness throughout her body._

_She felt the beginnings of hysteria._

'_What's going to happen?'_

'_Where am I gonna go?'_

'_What am I gonna do?'_

_Then a movement in her peripheral vision, looking up she saw the pillar of strength that was her closest friend standing on the West balcony, their eyes met and the heaviness disappeared._

'_I'm safe'_

Seeking that same reassurance, she tilted her head now, gazing at that strong jaw line from under her eyelashes, hidden by his sideburns, coarse dark hair that she suddenly found herself longing to touch. Flashbacks as they found their way along the hallway, recollections of feeling that hair scratch her stomach as Logan's mouth fondled her breasts, her fingers tangling themselves in his, surprisingly soft, thick head of hair. She blinked, squirming as she felt her cheeks heat up, feeling a heat in her stomach as her body reacted to the remembered pleasure.

They had stopped. Marie's hand reached out and pressed against the varnished wood, sliding down to the handle, they were at the entrance to Logan's room, from long habit having considered it theirs. Marie couldn't recall the last time she had slept in her bed, or what it even felt like.

They eased into the room with the caution of intruders, glancing around at the neatly made bed, the bathroom door left slightly ajar, the chest of drawers filled with what little clothes Logan bothered keeping. Biting her lip she turned her back on everything and dared to glance upwards from the white cloth, the taut neck, up the handsome face into her lovers eyes.

Such pain…

Her hazel counterparts betrayed an agony she hadn't seen in Logan before, not even after Alkali Lake, the pain seared into her heart and the dam in her broke.

"I can't do this" she admitted, "I…I just can't"

He groaned and gathered her into his arms, leaning against her. She held onto him tightly, bracing her legs to keep from falling under the weight of Logan and his Adamantium. His breath roared in her ear as he pressed his cheek against hers and she was aware of every inch of his body that pressed against hers, particularly the lower half.

Moving her face she pressed her lips to his sideburns, feeling a primal almost animalistic urge to ease Logan of his pain…to comfort him. Swallowing and biting her lip, she shifted so she could just reach his lips.

Clumsy and filled with desperation their tongues dulled as their hands gripped every part of each other they could reach, salt flavouring their kiss as they both started crying, unashamedly broken-hearted.

"Marie" Logan moaned, his tears staining her top

"Marie…Marie…_my_ Marie"

"Yours" she murmured as they slowly moved back and her knees hit the bed, "Always yours"

She lay across the bed, wiping her eyes as Logan pulled of his wife beater. He reached down and they kissed again, her left hand running through his hair as she propped herself up on her right elbow.

"Don't do this," she suddenly begged, breaking the kiss to look into his eyes, "Don't leave me"

He grunted and looked away, "Don't ask that of me"

"Why not?"

"Because I'll die if I stay!" he answered harshly pressing forward to taste her lips again, reaching down to her hips and unbuttoning her jeans. She threw back her head, allowing him to ravage her neck as she began undoing her red shirt, pushing her jeans down to her thighs he slipped a hand up her back and unclasped her bra. She freed her breasts of both items, throwing the clothes down on the floor and thrust her groin against Logan's feeling him harden. Cupping her right breast in his hand he squeezed it roughly as he lowered his mouth onto her left, she cried out in pleasure and fell back onto the bed as she tangled her hands in his hair and pressed his lips harder against his skin.

"I don't think I can survive if you leave me now," she admitted, between short gasps and whimpers as her arousal pooled between her legs. She looked down as she felt Logan tense and sigh, releasing her breasts and easing off the bed, terror hit her and she thought of him leaving her right _now_ but he simply knelt before her legs and peeled her jeans from her body.

"You'll survive darlin'" he replied, undoing her boots and taking off her jeans and socks in a fluid movement, "You'll survive because you're damn strong, even without your powers you're a fighter"

He kissed her knee and nipped at the flesh of her left thigh,

"I was only strong because I had you," she wept, propping herself up on her elbows to see him,

"And I was only strong because I wanted to protect you" he breathed as he touched the wetness on her panties with his tongue, causing her to moan, he grinned bitterly, "Irony huh?"

Desire overcame Despair.

He pushed her panties to one side and pulling her hips to the edge of the bed, ran his tongue up her juncture, licking as much of her juices as he could before he delved his tongue into her, eager for more. Marie cried out and pressed her fingers to her mouth, closing her eyes and trying to shift her hips to grant him better access. Her body sang as she felt Logan's tongue inside her, where his cock had so often been, stirring inside her still tight womanhood, coaxing a pleasurable wave from her. Running her hands down her body, she pushed Logan deeper into her, now confident enough with her lover to ask for what she wanted,

"Logan…sugar…your fingers"

He complied, removing his tongue as he rose to his feet and slid two fingers inside her, needing only a second to make her come with a loud cry. Lying sated on the bed Marie watched as he slipped his fingers out of her wetness and licked them clean, wetting her lips her eyes fell to Logan's track pants where his erection was now straining.

"Logan" she murmured, sliding off the bed and into his arms, swaying on her feet, reaching down she undid the cord to his pants, reducing them both to their undergarments. Breaking from the embrace, she turned slowly on her heel and walked to the head of the bed, turning down the sheets, shifting her underwear down to her knees she shrugged it off and slipped between the sheets. He took a moment to drink in the scene and a part of him acknowledged that this was his home now, wherever Marie chose to make it, his place was by her side. Following her, she slid over to make room for him before he covered them back up and she nestled in his arms.

They lay there in their embrace, absently caressing each other, her head on his shoulder as he stared at the ceiling and though she knew she'd regret it later she tried one last time.

"Logan don't go" she begged, "Stay here with me"

He sighed, "I can't" he rolled his body so they lay side by side, "You need to understand darlin', if I stay now we won't stand a chance in the future"

She scoffed, "The _future_ Logan? You've never planned that far ahead"

"I started when I realised I wanted to spend every day of the rest of my life with you…I just don't know when I'll be back that's all"

Tears rolled down her cheeks and he tenderly kissed them away, she realised that she had been weeping the whole time,

"You really think we'll make it later?"

"I'm yours Marie and you're mine. Now and forever"

She grinned, "To have and to hold" and began kissing his neck, tracing a path to his lips.

"To love and to cherish" he ran his hands across her body, down to her hips.

"For better and for worse" she settled herself underneath him, positioning her legs.

"In sickness and in health" he rested his weight onto his forearms as her legs slowly tangled with his.

"Til death do us part" she finished, stroking his face.

"Make love to me one last time"

He kissed her tenderly, delving into her at the same time. Their rhythm, unlike almost every other time, was slow and steady. They'd already proven everything they'd ever needed to show each other. Marie lay back on the pillows and wrapped her arms about Logan's shoulders, closing her eyes and simply enjoying the sensation. She dug her nails into his skin as he began to move faster, obviously straining for release, smiling, she tilted her head to his ear.

"Come for me sugar, please"

He spilled into her with a grunt and she gasped at the feeling of his seed rushing into her core. He feverishly sought her mouth and she let him kiss her senseless, still stroking him lovingly.

They were both exhausted, the day had been so much for them, rolling onto his side Logan slung an arm about Marie and readied himself for sleep, and obligingly Marie curled over and yawned, nudging her body just next to Logan's.

He was gone when she woke up, as she had known he would be his clothes, his bag, and his bike too probably. He would have gone the moment she was in deep sleep, hoping to prevent any last minute pleas. She wouldn't have given them anyway, she'd already got everything she could possibly need to bring him home again.

Grinning with self-satisfaction she tried rolling over to seek his pillow and his scent she heard something under her crinkle, looking down she saw a plain piece of paper.

A note from Logan.

_Marie,_

_I know that you stopped taking the pill last month. Once I get to the border, I'm going to buy a phone and mail you the number. The moment you know if I got you with child ring me…if you're pregnant I'll come straight home. I'll make things work between us darlin' I promise._

_Logan._

_P.S- Happy 19__th__ Your presents in the bottom chest of drawers, hidden in my old boots_

Bottom drawer, the one place she hadn't looked.

* * *

Sitting in the gallery, his short gangly legs swinging over the side Sam Brut looked down at the scrap of paper where he had written three names.

1.Wolverine

2.Colossus

3.Jubilee

He ticked off the first name and allowed himself a small grin. Now for phase two.

* * *

A/N- Welcome to shoot me down in flames, will get the next chapter up very soon.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N- Truthfully I'd just been planning to leave this unfinished until I received a wonderful email that inspired me to keep going. Thanks you know who you are.

**

* * *

**

Honestly what will become of me  
don't like reality  
It's way too clear to me  
But really life is daily  
We are what we don't see  
Missed everything daydreaming

_[Chorus:]_  
Flames to dust  
Lovers to friends  
Why do all good things come to an end  
Flames to dust  
Lovers to friends  
Why do all good things come to an end  
come to an end come to an  
Why do all good things come to end?  
come to an end come to an  
Why do all good things come to an end?

Traveling I only stop at exits  
Wondering if I'll stay  
Young and restless  
Living this way I stress less  
I want to pull away when the dream dies  
The pain sets it and I don't cry  
I only feel gravity and I wonder why

Flames to dust  
Lovers to friends  
Why do all good things come to an end  
Flames to dust  
Lovers to friends  
Why do all good things come to an end  
come to an end come to an  
Why do all good things come to end?  
come to an end come to an  
Why do all good things come to an end?

Well the dogs were whistling a new tune  
Barking at the new moon  
Hoping it would come soon so that they could  
Dogs were whistling a new tune  
Barking at the new moon  
Hoping it would come soon so that they could  
Die die die die die

Flames to dust  
Lovers to friends  
Why do all good things come to an end  
Flames to dust  
Lovers to friends  
Why do all good things come to an end  
come to an end come to an  
Why do all good things come to end?  
come to an end come to an  
Why do all good things come to an end?

Well the dogs were barking at a new moon  
Whistling a new tune  
Hoping it would come soon  
And the sun was wondering if it should stay away for a day 'til the feeling went away  
And the sky was falling on the clouds were dropping and  
the rain forgot how to bring salvation  
the dogs were barking at the new moon  
Whistling a new tune  
Hoping it would come soon so that they could die. - Nelly Furtado All Good Things.

* * *

2 Years Earlier

"_Well what'dya think?"_

"_Like why you asking me?"_

"_Da, why you asking her?"_

_Wolverine looked up from the console and rolled his eyes. _

"_Xavier tricked me into this, Summers is on leave and Storm's busy having a hand-holding, hippie love-in bonding thing with the younger brats. Rogue, Bobby and Kitty are studying for somethin' and you two idiots were passing through"_

_Jubilee rolled her eyes and perched herself up onto the console board,  
"If we're idiots then why ask us?"_

"_Well you came in and started talking to me anyway and Piotr's opinion will be good"_

"_What's his power exactly?"_

"_He manipulates the emotions in others-Chuck gave it some technical term…I wasn't listening- not good emotions though, if you don't have depression before meeting him, you will afterwards. He drove his older brother and the head cheerleaders at his school to suicide...supposedly didn't know what he was doing…I suppose he could be useful on a battlefield…destroy the enemy moral…"_

"_But you wouldn't want that" Piotr predicted._

"_No"_

_The three all leant back. Wolverine against the blast screen that overlooked the Danger Room, Jubilee opposite him her legs swinging off the console, Piotr leaning against the chair. They all wore matching expressions of concern,_

"_Well I totally have one way of dealing with the question" Jubilee piped up, a sly look coming into her eyes, causing both men to look up with interest. She grinned,_

"_Mr. Logan would you trust this Sam Brut guy on a recon mission with Bobby or like…Rogue"_

"_No" the answer was immediate, an instinctive refusal in the desire to protect his unofficial charge. Piotr nodded,_

"_Then that's the answer"_

"_He will not be an X-Man"_

* * *

"What do you mean _gone_?!"

Piotr winced at Ororo's harsh tone, resting his hands on the foot of her bed, he tilted forward, positioning a knee on her numerous blankets.

"I am sorry, Ororo, I turned up to a pre-arranged training session and no-one was there, I checked first with Kitty and Jubilee and they'd slept straight through. I left them getting dressed and knocked on Logan's door and… Marie told me that he was gone"

'Oh because she would know' Storm thought cruelly, 'Whenever Logan was leaving she wouldn't know till he was halfway to Canada'  
A moment later she chastised herself for behavior that was fast becoming normal for her, but the loss of her manners wasn't what worried her the most.

Logan had left.

He had gone.

The bastard had flown the coop.

What more could go wrong?  


* * *

Scott burst into the room. His eyes flew first to the barely clad Piotr, who was definitely the larger presence, then to Storm who was still lying in bed, her pink camisole slipping from her shoulders, her hair in disarray.  
"You better come quick" he told her before darting back out to the hall.  
For a moment Storm thought he was making a crude assumption regarding her and Piotr, and then she heard other voices just outside her bedroom door.  
Too many voices considering it were only seven o'clock in the morning.

Slipping from the bed, she allowed Piotr to slide one of her jackets around her frame, hiding her lack of clothing from the world. Or more importantly the students.

Cautiously she stepped out into the hallway, Piotr close on her heels; she tilted her head both ways looking for the source of the commotion. A few students rushed past, tense with excitement and giggling loudly. Feeling dread form like a rock in the pit of her stomach, wondering what fresh hell she might be about to face she took a deep breath and imagined what Xavier would do. Straightening her shoulders she marched down the hall, finding a large crowd milling about the gallery looking down to the Great Hall. Pushing past them she found the rest of the population in the Hall, holding what appeared to be sheets of paper.

"Right!"

She jumped as Scott's voice echoed through the foyer,

"Everyone back to bed or into the dining room right now!"

A few students looked up from their pregnant silence to eye their old teacher, but whatever had their attention was more important than obeying someone they'd once respected. Storm shoved her way down the stairs and nearly slipped on a piece of paper, grabbing Piotr's arm for balance, she scooped down and grabbed it. Feeling irritated she turned it over and froze.  
It was a regular piece of computer paper; Xavier's stocked the environmentally recyclable sheets by the thousands. At the top of the page sat a pixilated photo, she was looking at it upside down but she could still see what the picture was.

Jubilation Lee and Kitty Pryde, in a car, with the garage serving as a backdrop, the picture had clearly been taken without their permission because neither of them were looking at the camera.  
They were kissing.  
Underneath in large black block print were the words.

**Kitty Pryde is a rug-munching lesbian!!!**

Wide-eyed with horror, Storm looked about, seeing dozens upon dozens of the sheets each with the incriminating picture spread across the paper. Ahead of her the Stepford Cuckoos, stood with matching expression of bemusement. Piotr removed her hand from his arm and marched over to them, drawing himself up to his full height,

"This is a filthy lie you disgusting gossipers"

They looked up into his eyes,

"It doesn't matter if it's a lie or not" Wicked announced,

"Yes," the other two agreed, "Because we had nothing to do with it"

Storm was about to demand who was responsible for it when she heard a strangled gasp from the kitchen, for some reason she turned towards the sound and felt her cheeks burn with sympathy.

* * *

Kitty Pryde and Jubilation Lee stood in the doorway, wearing their workout clothes, still holding hands. Tears ran down Kitty Pryde's cheeks, her cheeks deep red with mortification. Suddenly she turned and darted through the wall, leaving Jubilee to stand there alone.

"_Bullshit_!"

Like a play, everyone in the audience turned to where Rogue stood above the gallery, wearing jeans, a red shirt and one of Logan's jackets thrown over her ensemble. Looking like a slovenly dressed avenging angel.  
People parted the way for her as she stormed down the stairs,

"Bloody, lying bullshit!" she proclaimed again, looking around and daring someone to disagree with her.

"_Actually_ it's like not"

Startled Rogue looked over her shoulder. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Jubilation Lee bravely stepped out and linked her arms with her friend,

"Kitty and I are dating, have been for a few months now…anyone got a problem with that?"

One of the younger boys, Jimmy, called from the gallery,

"She a good kisser?"

Jubilee threw him a beaming smile, "Oh boy, you have _no_ idea"

Several of the students laughed and Jubilee looked to Rogue,  
"Kitty may not be hungry, but I'm starving chica, let's get some breakfast"

* * *

Many of the students didn't bother going back to their rooms after the morning scene, they were filled with too much excitement at the scandal to consider going back to sleep. So the halls were empty as Sam Brut knocked quietly and tripped into Kitty's Pryde's bedroom, where she lay sobbing on her bed. He allowed himself a celebratory grin before pasting a sympathetic look on his face,  
"Hey Kitty, are you alright?"

Whether because of her preoccupation or because she had always been kind to him, Kitty turned onto her back to look at him,  
"No" she whispered and he walked forward, looking for the entire world like a friend.

* * *

A/N- Ok now tell me what you think.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N- here you go. i still own nothing. My apologies in advance if any part of this chapter offends anyone of the Jewish culture.

* * *

The first thing Jubilee became aware of at six o'clock on Saturday morning was the stale smell of alcohol.

Wrinkling her nose she tried to sink back into the warm oblivion of sleep, however the sound of vomiting soon penetrated the dull haze of exhaustion.

Resisting the urge to gag, Jubilee rolled over and examined her bedroom, her cheeks becoming stained with red when she saw the scene in front of her.

It resembled the government ads regarding the dangers of teen drinking.

Kitty Pryde crouched on the floor just inside their open doorway throwing up what was probably a tremendous amount of alcohol. Her hair hung limp around her face and she was still dressed in the little black dress she'd worn to a party last night.

A party Jubilee hadn't been invited to or made aware of until she'd caught her already tipsy girlfriend stumbling out the front door with Sam Brut in hand. She'd tried to stop her but had got her head chewed off for the attempt.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed Jubilee wondered if it would be so cruel of her to issue an 'I told you so' statement. Just in time she remembered that, despite the troubles they were facing at the moment, she did love Kitty Pryde, so she got out of the warmth of her bed into the cold of the room and went to kneel beside her girlfriend.

Gently she pulled her hair back so it wouldn't get in the way and patted her back tenderly,

"Come on chica" she whispered, "Let's get you into the shower"

Kitty only groaned in response and, possibly still drunk, muttered the words,

"He called me a stupid slut"

Jubilee blanched and for a moment let the fear of rape grip her throat before realising that Kitty must have, once again, tried to make amends with her father after a few Original Sin's.

Michael Pryde was a prestigious Rabbi among the Jewish community in Illinois and an orthodox Jew to boot, though he allowed his wife and daughter to have a more relaxed approach to some of the religious observances. He had become furious with Kitty when the now infamous photo of her and Jubilee had been mailed to the Synagogue where he preached. In fact he had blasted his daughter for her sins in a very public phone call and tried his best to disown her, her mother Rebecca refused point blank to allow him to, but even she needed time to overcome her daughter's chosen lifestyle.

Hence the reason Kitty Pryde was now trying to stumble across her bedroom at Xavier's in bright red stiletto heels with last night's alcohol spilt all  
over her dress.

* * *

Jubilee looked down at the mess she'd made on the bedroom floor and felt disgust rise within her, hearing a scornful snort, she turned and saw a group of students, just getting home themselves, but in a more sober state of mind, look down at the mess with the arrogant judgement of youth.

Wrapping her fluffy yellow dressing gown around her Jubilee hurried into the bathroom, out of the view of prying eyes, and set about helping Kitty undress. Kitty for her part seemed to be standing catatonic in the middle of the bedroom floor, swaying either with exhaustion of drunkenness as Jubilee knelt to untie her shoes and then tried to ease her dress down over her body.

And that was when she saw it,

For a moment Jubilee thought Kitty had soiled herself during her drunken escapade last night, but she wasn't that lucky, she might never have been with a man but she knew instinctively what that was.

"You cheated on me last night didn't you?" she whispered, stepping back until she felt the bathroom door behind her and raising a hand to her throat to stall the tears. Clearly unable to form a coherent sentence, Kitty simply looked at her and shrugged weakly,

"Not...lesbian...no more"

Blinking rapidly, Jubilee simply looked at the woman she'd once believed to be her best friend and first love,

"Wow...just...wow Kitty. You have fallen _so _far...I never thought you of all people would do this to me, not when I stood by you in the worst moments of your life, not when I put you to bed night after drunken night, not when I had Rogue fly me to Illinois in the Blackbird so I could try and talk to your father myself. I even forgave you for phasing out of the hall and leaving me to face the photo mess alone...but you know what...I'm done"

She hadn't raised her voice when she'd spoken, she didn't think she'd be able to. She just turned on her heel and walked out of her bedroom, leaving Kitty Pryde standing naked in the bathroom, the extent of her crimes just beginning to dawn on her.

* * *

Rogue stood over her bathroom sink, her eyes squeezed shut as she counted rapidly under her breath. Even when she reached the allotted time she refused to open her eyes, knowing that an entire potential future rested on a colour changing stick. Taking a deep breath she willed herself to be calm and opened her eyes,

Pink.

Before she even allowed herself to hope she grabbed the box, turning it over frantically to find the simple instructions, even though she'd read them a dozen times already.

Pink was positive- or negative depending on how you viewed the situation- but for Marie it was positive.

She was pregnant!

Shouting with joy, Marie ran into the bedroom and launched herself into the middle of the bed, bouncing and landed buried amongst the pillows and blankets that still carried the faint scent of Logan. But it wouldn't be faint for much longer.

"I'm pregnant" she chanted to herself in a sing-song voice, "I'm pregnant and he'd coming home"

The mobile number hadn't reached her yet, but it was due any day now. She would make the call and Logan would come rushing home, bursting through the front doors to sweep her into his arms and kiss her passionately. Bobby would get better and either come home or perhaps go to Massachusetts Academy as a teacher/X-Men representative. Xavier's would recover from it's troubles and everything would be perfect.

Because she was pregnant!

There was a knock on her door and she jumped up, running to answer it. She had a huge, beaming smile on her face which flickered a little as she found Jubilee leaning against her door, tears streaming down her face.

"She cheated on me...probably with that prick Sam...I've left her"

Marie's eyes went wide with shock, horror and not a little disgust as the small grey cloud appeared in her sunny skies. She stepped aside to let her pyjama clad friend enter her room, the pregnancy test still in her hand.

Jubilee gave it a brief glance then froze, staring at it with dawning comprehension. She made to touch it, but seemed to remember at the last minute how the stick worked. A self-depreciating grin slid onto her face,

"Let me do this scene again chica"

She exited the room, closing the door behind her. A few seconds later she knocked again and Marie answered the door-again. This time, despite the trace of tears on her skin, Jubilee managed a hint of her former cheery smile.

"Hey chica...I was up and wondering how you're going"

Marie played along and silently held up the pregnancy test and this time Jubilee let out a shriek and bounced into her arms, holding her tightly and kissing her cheek,

"Ohmygod, Ohmygod, Ohmygod...congratulations! I'm so happy for you...Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations"

Tears of joy for herself and grief for her friend coursed down Marie's cheeks.

"Thank-you sugar"

Then she stepped back and placed the test on the desk, she took Jubilee's hand and led her to the window seat, sitting them both down and taking her friend's hands- feeling an odd tingle as she did so.

"Now...tell me everything"

* * *

  
Sam Brut pressed his knees to his chest and laughed silently into his stale, black jeans as he rocked back and forth, the cold, dark earth of the front lawn seeping into his bones. Before him was the piece of paper that contained the three names.  
Another had been crossed off.  
Only one more to go.

* * *

A/N- Yes his evil plan is nearly complete see if you can guess who he's going to attack next.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- Anyone know where this stories going? Cause I sure don't. I also realised that the last chapter wasn't up to my usual standards, sorry about that.

* * *

_It starts with one..  
and multiplys 'till you can taste the sun  
and burnt by the sky you try to take it from.  
but if it falls theres no place to run  
crumbling down, It's so unreal. (so unreal)_

They're dealing you in to determine your end  
and sending you back again to places you've been  
and bending your will, till it breaks you within  
and still they fill their eyes (fill their eyes)

With the twilight  
through the skylight  
and the highlights  
on a frame of steel.  
see the brightness  
of your likeness  
as I write this  
on a pad  
with the way I feel. (way I feel...)

Hear the screaming  
in my dreaming  
as its seeming  
that you've played your part.  
like you heartless  
take apart this  
in the darkness  
while I know that..

I tried so hard and got so far,  
but in the end it doesn't even matter.  
I had to fall to lose it all,  
but in the end it doesn't even matter.

I've looked down the line and whats there is not what ought to be  
held back by the battles they fought for me  
calling me to be part of their property  
and now I see that I get no chance. (get no chance)

I get no break  
fakes and snakes quickly lead to mistakes  
and as the tightrope within  
slowly starts to thin  
I can only hope that they close their eyes (close their eyes)

To the twilight  
through the skylight  
and the highlights  
on a frame of steel.  
see the brightness  
of your likeness  
as I write this  
on a pad  
to the way I feel. (way I feel...)

Hear the screaming  
in my dreaming  
as its seeming  
that you've played your part.  
like you heartless  
take apart this  
in the darkness  
while I know that..

I tried so hard and got so far,  
but in the end it doesn't even matter.  
I had to fall to lose it all,  
but in the end it doesn't even matter.

I've put my trust in you  
pushed as far as I can go  
for all this  
theres only one thing you should know...

I've put my trust in you  
pushed as far as I can go  
for all this  
theres only one thing you should know...

I've put my trust in you  
pushed as far as I can go  
for all this  
theres only one thing you should know...

I tried so hard and got so far,  
but in the end it doesn't even matter.  
I had to fall to lose it all,  
but in the end it doesn't even matter- In the End- Linkin Park

* * *

Erik had just stepped back onto land when he felt it,

A pain wracked through his body and drove him to his knees, quickly Lee reached his side and pressed her fingers to his neck, checking for his pulse. At his age she assumed that he was having a cardiac arrest. He brushed her away, his arms pressed tightly to his stomach, slowly she helped him stagger across the docks to the park where he sat every afternoon and played chess with his long lost brother Charles. She seated him down and looked at her older friend curiously, every morning he was up at dawn to help her take her boat out and fish, she didn't know much about him but she could guess he was in his seventies at the least. She had guessed that because, once when he'd pulled back his shirtsleeves without thinking, she'd seen the numbers on his arm, there weren't many people left who bore the mark of the Holocaust.

So having health problems at his age wasn't so surprising.

The metal trashcan, speeding across the park towards them however, was. Lee opened her mouth to cry out in panic but it hit her in the side of the head and she fell to the ground, hitting her head again and blacking out instantly.

As quickly as the pain had beset him it was gone. Erik opened his eyes and looked upon the world he thought he had been cast from forever. On the ground the one friend he had made in his human life lay dead, her blood spilling out onto the concrete and Erik was able to mourn her death. She had been human but mutants had never been anything more than potential customers at the fish market for her. As far as she had known she had never met a mutant, nor did she much care either way if she did. Erik had been grateful to her for her lack of hatred; it had been refreshing after years of isolation and fear to find someone who wasn't anti-mutant and anti-Semitic.

It had been nice to have a friend.

He started as he heard the distant wailing of sirens, and got to his feet. His human life was over now, the authorities would find him if he lingered. He cried out as the smell of metal overwhelmed him and answered his unwitting call.

Lamp posts began to bend. Seats began to rise from the concrete in which they'd been bolted. Cars began to slide across roads towards him and caused havoc in the early morning traffic. Turning his head wildly and trying to stop himself, he only succeeded in summoning the metal to him faster. Suddenly a large explosion and the numerous objects were brought together over his head, terrified he threw his hands out to protect himself and the metal obeyed, flying in random directions across the park and into neighbouring areas.

Cries of fear and anger filled the morning sky and Magneto looked at the destruction he had unwillingly made.

He had to flee.

* * *

Bobby Drake smiled thankfully at the nurse when she cautiously removed his straitjacket. He stretched his arms in joy and then tucked into his breakfast. Dr Dempsey had proclaimed him well enough to go without any security measures and he was determined to prove him correct. Beside him, Lorna, the paranoid schizophrenic mutant teenager offered him the last of her orange juice, blushing when their hands touched. She had come and gone from the asylum ever since she had turned thirteen and now at seventeen had only just started making progress. She followed him around like a little lost puppy and wanted to try all the techniques that he was allowed to try, eager to show him just how capable she was.

The doctors were concerned that following Bobby's departure, which they were beginning to speak of with frequency, she would relapse, but Bobby was happy to stay as long as she wanted him to. She reminded him a bit of Kitty and Rogue, before Alkali Lake, when they were both still young and more carefree.

He had a feeling that he would be able to face Xavier's and she would be able to face the world if they had one another.

A piercing scream interrupted his thoughts and Bobby leapt to his feet, looking around for the source of the trouble. He heard a distinct metallic click and knew what was about to follow,

"Get down" he shouted, grabbing Lorna by the neck and pushing her to the floor, she obeyed but the rest of the patients weren't so obedient. Gunfire spattered the dining room, mowing down anything left standing in its path. It was over soon, but the damage it wreaked was horrific. Bobby held Lorna to him and tried to manoeuvre them both under the table for better cover, when a foot stepped into his line of sight.

A big, hairy foot that reminded him of the cover of a bad video he'd seen once about Big Foot.

A long, angry growl followed the foot and, despite himself, Bobby looked up to see who the owner was- and though they'd never met face to face, he recognised him.

Sabretooth.

"Lorna" Bobby spoke quietly so as not to startle her, he could feel her twisting and shaking beside him, "I want you to go to your room and block the door please"

"No chance gorgeous"

The voice beside him didn't belong to Lorna, fear coursed through his veins and he whipped his head to the side so quickly that he creaked his neck.  
Propping her head up with her elbow, Mystique smiled seductively at him,

"Hello Bobby" she purred and he felt a sharp sting in his neck before he fell unconscious.

* * *

"You called me Moira?"

Henry McCoy settled down in his office in Washington, looking at the paperwork before him with dismay, he was considering resigning but couldn't afford for Mutant Affairs to be handed to one less capable them himself.

"Yes..." the message broke out and Henry waited patiently, knowing the likeliness of there being another large electrical storm breaking over Muir Island, with all the torrential rain there, half the island spent most of the year under water.

"Henry...I don't have much time....the cure...."

Henry froze and the pen he was holding snapped in his grip, spilling red ink all over his blue fur, staining it purple. "What...?!"

"Henry..." Moira was getting harder to hear and despite himself he was raising his voice, even though it did nothing to help,

"Moira! Tell me what's wrong!"

"The cure Henry!" Moira's voice suddenly became clear, or perhaps it was because everything around him was fading, "The cure has failed"

That was when he heard the gunfire shoot his old friend down, her piercing scream was the last thing he heard.

* * *

A/N- Who killed Moira? How has the cure failed?


	15. Chapter 15

A/N - This is a long chapter and I'm hoping you all like it, bringing in some extra characters.

* * *

_You're in my arms  
And all the world is calm  
The music playing on for only two  
So close together  
And when I'm with you  
So close to feeling alive_

A life goes by  
Romantic dreams will stop  
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew  
So close was waiting, waiting here with you  
And now forever I know  
All that I wanted to hold you  
So close

So close to reaching that famous happy ending  
Almost believing this was not pretend  
And now you're beside me and look how far we've come  
So far we are so close

How could I face the faceless days  
If I should lose you now?  
We're so close  
To reaching that famous happy end  
And almost believing this was not pretend  
Let's go on dreaming for we know we are  
So close  
So close  
And still so far- John McLaughlin

* * *

By the time Logan pulled up to the border, he was definitely looking the worse for wear. He'd been driving thirty hours straight and couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent meal...probably before the bullet wounds in his stomach though.

He tried not to show any signs of pain as one more was pushed from his body by his healing factor, in his rucksack sat his bloodied and ruined clothes and a stack of important files that he'd 'liberated' from a lab he'd found near Laughlin of all places. Along with something else he hoped like hell the border control wouldn't find.

The mobile phone he'd brought, the one that he'd stared at night and day, hoping that against the odds, Marie would call him and summon him back home was now little pieces of wiring stuck to his boot. He'd had to smash it to prevent the soldiers from tracking him,

He'd never even had time to send Marie the number, not that one little tiny detail had stopped him from hoping. He waited in line as bags and trunks were searched, pretending to stretch as he caught more bullets, falling from various parts of his anatomy.

Finally a policeman wandered over to him and Logan took a moment to bless the underpaid crime solvers of the United States of America, nothing like overworked, exhausted men and women to overlook one heavily wounded, barely documented mutant slipping back into the country.

"Name sir?" the man greeted monotonously,

"Logan" he answered, handing over his passport, "Unfortunately that's all I know, but I have several papers here, signed by various bigwigs to let me into most Western countries"

The man nodded cautiously and looked at all the papers in turn, clearly unsure of what to do. Logan took a deep breath and wondered at his options, he had been granted immunity by Canada and America, but any loud noises wouldn't be good for him right now.

"I'd be happy to be locked up while you checked everything" he offered politely, "I've been riding this thing all night and my legs are killing me"

He'd said the right thing, the man smiled in sympathy and thanks,

"Yeah...if you don't mind...I just wouldn't want to lose my job over this"

"Eh" Logan waved his hand, "No problem," switching off his bike and following instructions, he parked it on the side of the road and rubbed his neck, catching the tip of a blade as it fell from his jaw.

It only took about twenty minutes, but Logan was damn sure that he was pushing his luck; twice he'd been into his rucksack to ensure that everything was okay and he was sure that in another five minutes he'd have trouble on his hands.

Thankfully border control had been instructed over the phone not to piss this guy off, because he was worth ten times as much to their country as they were. So he was ushered out the door with a welcome to the United States of America and told to have a nice day. He jumped on his bike and hightailed it so fast that for a moment the security guard was terrified that he'd just let a drug mule into the country.

About three miles down the road, Logan pulled into a motel and ordered a room, and thankfully it was run by a nice old couple who believed in room service. He ordered half the menu and then locked the door behind them; marching over to the bed he placed his rucksack down and unzipped it carefully.

Inside a baby tried opening its eyes, but she was still too young and fell back asleep. Trying to be gentle, Logan picked her up and checked her over for any signs of damage, but she appeared to be in perfect health, which wasn't surprising.

After all, X-23 was his genetic clone.

'Laura McKinney' he reminded himself, for that was the name that her surrogate had given her with her dying breath. Logan still remembered watching as the life left the woman's body, torn by giving birth and the poison that Hydra had given her to prevent her living to care for her child.

Though Logan would have argued that scientists were incapable of caring for those they experimented on, she had tracked him down and begged him to care for the child.

His genetic clone.

Marie and his _daughter_.

She stretched her tiny limbs in her sleep and Logan observed her curiously, not able to remember ever seeing any babies. Though even as he enjoyed himself, he knew he had to get back to the safety of the mansion as quickly as possible. Not only might he still be being hunted by the goons out to catch him, but the army had to get in and shut that base down before he had his kids popping up all over the place.

For now, one was enough.

* * *

When Jubilee woke up she was feeling disoriented, she reluctantly opened her eyes and through her sleepy haze, felt dampness around her legs.  
Inwardly groaning she realised that her period must have snuck up on her unawares again and tumbled from the large double bed to the adjoining bathroom. After she had dumped Kitty, Marie had gone back to Jubilee's room for her and collected most of her stuff, moving her into Wolverine's room with her. They shared the bed together like sisters and right now Jubilee was hoping they shared similar taste in sanitary items.

It wasn't until she reached the bathroom that she realised something was wrong. She closed the door and turned on the light, inspecting her pyjama pants for the stain...which was on her knee.

She wasn't the one bleeding, but she was the only one who should be.

Marie's scream of agony echoed throughout the mansion.

Jubilee looked up as Storm and Piotr burst into the room, followed quickly by Doctor McCoy and a stranger. On the bed, Marie thrashed wildly, clutching her stomach, Jubilee went to take her hand but Storm grabbed her,

"My dear no...the cure is failing on Rogue!"

Jubilee looked to her friend desperately as Beast and the strange woman in the lab coat started forward. Marie arched on the bed in pain and the sheets slid off her, revealing bloodstains all over the mattress.

"Doctor McCoy" Jubilee screamed out, "She's _pregnant_!"

He paused over his patient and looked up to Jubilee with a mixture of surprise and sympathy. Not understanding the other woman bent to grab hold of the bleeding girl and went suddenly still, her body seizing in little jolts as though she were being electrocuted. In the confusion it took nearly a minute before anyone realised that something was wrong...by then it was too late.

"Carol!" Doctor McCoy leapt over the bed; Marie forgotten as the woman dropped into Piotr's outstretched arms. Jubilee took advantage of Storm's concern to free herself from her arms and reach over to Marie, unsure of what to do but determined to try and save the baby.

But it was no use.

With a final heart-wrenching cry Marie fell unconscious onto the bed and a fresh stream of blood poured from her body, the foetus most probably amongst it. Leaving Doctor McCoy and Storm performing CPR on Marie's unintended victim, Piotr stepped into the hall and returned with Jimmy.

"Stay next to me Leech" he ordered, scooping the bloodied X-woman into his arms. Leech nodded, squeezing his eyes tight but holding onto Piotr's boxers. They left the room and Jubilee followed despondently, part of her assuming that they were heading for the med centre while another part of her didn't care.

Only when the tears blurred her vision did she realise she was crying, behind her she heard Doctor McCoy call time of death and the students all asking frantic questions. She just kept walking, she didn't stop until she reached the dimly lit hallways of the med centre, where she crumpled to the floor and began sobbing loudly.

"It's _not_ fair" she argued, even though the higher powers obviously didn't give a fuck.

"Marie deserved this little bit of happiness" she continued, wiping her running nose,

"She deserved to be a mother"

A handkerchief appeared in her line of vision and wiped her tears away, cleaning her face. Gently, Doctor McCoy tilted her head to look up at him,

"It is a generous soul that can feel another's pain" he whispered, kissing her forehead and she nodded, feeling like a child again.

"What happened?" she asked and he shrugged his weary shoulders.

"McTaggert alerted me to the cure failing and I rushed back to the mansion with my lab partner Carol, hoping Marie would allow us to run some tests on her, see what the results were...when we heard the commotion"

"Is she dead?" Jubilee herself wasn't sure whom she meant, but talking was better than being left with her thoughts.

He swallowed uncomfortably, "Carol is yes. Marie appears to be unconscious, I have checked her and it appears that her powers did not recognise the child within her as part of her, perhaps because it wasn't entirely her DNA. As such it..._removed_...it from the body. It appears her powers have grown whilst she was cured, perhaps because the cure was not the suppressant we assumed it was but instead like a dam"

Jubilation Lee knew that Hank McCoy was no longer talking to her but musing aloud. Wearily she pushed herself to her feet and trudged into the centre where Marie lay on a bed, numerous tubes and machines were connected to her body. Pulling up a chair, and no longer caring about the blood on her knee, Jubilee prepared herself to wait.

Come hell, high water or whatever was thrown at her, she would be here for Marie when her friend woke up.

Several hours passed, while Jubilee sat unmoving, making statues envious with her stillness. It was the height of the day before someone other than the school nurse entered the med centre.

"You should go get some rest" the voice told her quietly, and she did her best to ignore the pain in her heart,

"Go away" she ordered through clenched teeth, but Kitty simply ignored her.

"Jubilee, go get some rest...take a shower, I'll call you when she wakes up"

"I have to be here for her" she argued, gripping the sides of her chair.

"You are being here for her" Kitty assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Feeling as if she'd been electrocuted, Jubilee jumped from the chair and rounded the bed, putting it between Kitty and herself, worried that if she didn't she'd end up either kicking or kissing her ex-girlfriend and not really sure about which she wanted to do more.

"No" Jubilee told her, "I'm not being here for Marie if I'm somewhere else in the mansion, taking a shower or painting my nails. I'm her friend...so I will sit in that chair for the next _twenty freaking years_ if I have to until she wakes up so that I can be here for her. Because that is what love is Katherine Anne Pryde- whether it's between friends or partners it doesn't matter- as long as you're there for someone when they need you the most"

Kitty gave her a weak, ghostly smile and pulled her wrap higher up her shoulders,

"Then why'd you walk out on me?"

For several seconds Jubilation Lee was actually speechless, then sparks flew from the tips of her fingers and she clenched her hands lest she short wire the electronics in the room.

"You cheated on me Kitty" she hissed, "You slept with someone else...and don't deny it because I saw the evidence when I was trying to clean your drunk ass up!"

She only shook her head, "You'll figure out something soon Jubilee, just know that I'm still here when you do"

Before Jubilee could argue, another voice entered the fray,

"Why are you arguing?_ Who are you?_"

* * *

Both girls looked down to where Rogue lay on the bed, her eyes watching Jubilee intently. Concerned she looked up to tell Kitty to find Doctor McCoy or Storm, but she was already phasing through the door.

"_Who are you?_ Jubilee, where am I?"

Jubilee looked down at her friend, realising that she was speaking over herself. Two sentences at the same time and she could hear both with perfect clarity, though she didn't seem to know it, Jubilee wondered who exactly she was talking to.

"I am Jubilation Lee" she introduced herself, her eyes never leaving her friend's face,

"I'm friends with Marie...you're in the med centre"

"I know who you are Jubes. _Whose Marie and what happened to me?_"

"Marie..." Jubilee stopped and took a deep breath, "Your powers returned and you like lost the baby, then you touched another woman and I think you absorbed her...you killed her"

"I lost my baby? _I'm dead?_"  
Jubilee covered her mouth with her hand and nodded,

"Yes"

* * *

A/N- I'm already fleeing in preparation for your anger.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N- Sorry no more lyrics they were irritating me.

* * *

"I want to leave. _Doctor McCoy when can I leave?_"

Storm took a deep breath and struggled not to cry as she watched through the glass, seeing the woman she recognised as Rogue curled up in her bed, her hair in front of her eyes, shielding her from the world.

Shielding them both.

Hank turned back to his patient and, very carefully, kissed the top of her head,

"When I am sure you are both ready, my dears"

Ever since Rogue and Carol Danvers had become one being, people had been at a loss as to how to address them. Should they ignore Rogue's new personality until it disappeared into the back of her mind like all the others? Or should they give Carol her personhood?

Rogue had never absorbed someone entirely before, there was the chance that Carol wouldn't leave. That she would become part of Marie in a way the others never had.

And the cure had _failed_ on Rogue.

So when would they receive word that Magneto was once more on the move?

* * *

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she stormed from the medical centre, eager to be as far away as possible. When she reached the main levels she waved away the curious students and their unanswerable questions.

Unfortunately the X-Men weren't so easily dismissed. They'd gathered in her office, some, like Jubilee still in their nightclothes, not having had the time to shower and change, others already in the gear they wore under their uniforms.

"Well?" Jubilee asked, her love for her friend overriding all other thoughts. Storm shrugged,

"She's still the same, she and Carol are talking simultaneously, Carol's in shock and Marie's on suicide watch"

To a one they flinched and started searching around for a change of subject.

Piotr found it first, "So we should assume that Magneto's powers have returned also,"

"And Mystique's" Storm agreed, clasping her hands about her neck and sitting in her office chair.

While the rest of them groaned at the thought, Storm took the moment to resist the urge to scream.

Magneto could be back, Mystique could be back. She had no idea where they were or what they were up to. The X-Men were nothing more than a shadow of what they had once been, if they went into battle outnumbered, there would be fatalities.

She looked about the office now, where Xavier had once sat and looked at her. She felt like screaming in fear, breaking down and sobbing until someone stepped forward, picked her up and took her away from the world, somewhere safe.

But they never would. She was Storm of the X-Men and she had to stand to fight Magneto.

Even if she didn't survive the battle.

* * *

Scott hadn't gone to the office to be an X-Man.

He no longer saw himself as one.

Everything that had made him a soldier, an X-man and a leader had died with Jean.

Everything he had done since only affirmed that.

He would fight with them, if only for the honour of dying in the presence of heroes, or redeeming himself somewhat in his own eyes.

But he had one other thing to do first.

Rogue had snuck out of the infirmary when Henry McCoy had been alerting everyone from the President of the United States down to their next door neighbours about the possibility of an impending attack by mutant terrorists; unfortunately she was still sedated and confused about her surroundings.

Scott watched her from the kitchen window as she frantically paced the terrace, running her hands through her hair continuously.  
Taking a deep breath, he got a glass, filled it with water and went outside to stand before her.

"Drink this" he offered, holding out the glass to her, she stopped pacing, the hospital gown swinging around her naked body. Seeing him she stopped and stared,

"Who are you?" she demanded and he wondered for a moment why she sounded odd, then he realised what was wrong.

Only one woman was talking, and if she didn't recognise him, it had to be Carol.

"My name is Scott Summers," he introduced himself, "I used to teach English and Workshop to Marie"

Carol nodded and oddly enough looked guilty, "She is suicidal, she wanted to throw herself off the roof of the mansion. The other people in her head helped me take control, the man in here, Wolverine wants me to tell you that Marie shan't be back in control until she has overcome her depression"

He supposed that made sense, and Scott wanted to believe her, but now that Carol's remains was in the makeshift morgue, perhaps she'd decided to take up primary residence in her murderer's body.

"Ask Wolverine to prove himself to me" Scott requested politely, trusting enough in the other inhabitants of Marie's mind to rely on their word.

"You're a dick" she announced, and he relaxed, glad that Marie was being saved from herself.

Even if it made his final unselfish act that much harder.

"Can Marie hear me right now?" he asked, and, to his dismay, Carol shook her head.

"She's too far back in her own head, I tried to reach her before, for information, but Wolverine and the others are trying to protect her from herself"

* * *

Tears burned behind his ruby-quartz glasses and Scott's throat was tight, all he could do was nod and stalk away from his last hope.

From long habit he sought refuge in the garage, amongst the cars he had spent hours building and tweaking until they were perfect in his eyes.

Where he had first met Jean Grey,  
_  
'To the garage my love'  
_  
He saw her before him now, he felt Xavier's presence.

He heard the familiar roar of a motorbike engine as it approached the school.

When God closes a door he opens a window.

He stood in the middle of the garage, quivering with excitement, watching silently as the Wolverine parked his bike and slowly stood off, holding his duffel bag with extreme care.

And two seconds later, Scott knew why.

A shrill cry emerged from the bag, followed by an indignant wail.

Juggling the bag in one hand, Logan scooped a wiggling object amongst the clothes and cradled it to his chest,

"Hush you" he ordered, kissing it roughly.

Staggered, Scott fell forward to stare at the tiny baby in his old enemies arms,

"Logan whose baby is that?" he queried, just a hint of worry and condemnation in his voice,

If Logan picked up on his tone, he either didn't take offense or didn't care.

"Mine" he announced and Scott's heart sank, worry for the morale of X-men and for what this would do to Marie.

"She'll never forgive you for this" he told him harshly, hating him in that moment

"Having a baby with another woman...had you run her through with your claws...you couldn't have hurt her worse"

Logan gave him a withering stare,

"She was created from my genetic palette, in a lab that we have to get the army to shut the hell down"

They started heading inside, setting a path for Xavier's office where they would break the news,

"Well I'll take your evil lab and raise you one failed cure"

Logan froze and looked to Scott, "Marie?"

One name- one thousand questions.

He shook his head, "I am sorry Logan...for everything, I think that if you ever get the chance again...you and she should defy the world and just be together"

* * *

A/N- Sorry I'll update again as soon as possible but this story has gone in an entirely different direction from where I first assumed.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N- Sorry it took so long. I've been trying to figure out the problems of Carol in Marie's head.

* * *

Carol tried to place one foot in front of the other, the basic act of walking.

But it was hard, it wasn't her body, it wasn't even her mind.  
_  
'Marie'_ she cried out into the darkness _'Please help me'_

'She won't help you Carol dear' Erik spoke to her, _'She refuses to speak to anyone but the Wolverine'_

'Yeah' Bobby sang, bounding up, _'She won't even speak to me'_

'Or me'

'Me neither'  
  
"Shut up!" she hissed out loud, "Shut up and let me be!"

There were young children, students possibly, scattered around the hallway, looking at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"Marie?"

Marie wasn't her name, that was the name of the woman who had..._murdered_ her. She didn't recognise it, she kept walking, she wasn't sure where,  
but she could hear voices so she knew that she was headed in the right direction.  
_  
"Marie!"  
_  
A hand reached out and grabbed her. She cried out in panic, twisting to try and break the grip, knowledge of her toxic skin frightening her. As suddenly as the hand had appeared it was removed, and Carol was left looking at a tall, dark-haired man, filled with muscle and with entrancing eyes.

Images played before her, Carol Danvers didn't know who this man was, but she was sure she'd been with him intimately.

She saw him standing above her, his head lowering to hers, lips meeting in a passionate kiss. She saw herself straddling his lap, taking his hands and guiding them over her body.

She saw herself lying back on a bed, moaning as his lips devoured her.

Carol Danvers was a virgin but she had made love with this man numerous times.

To the point where she'd fallen pregnant with his child.

In the dark recesses of their mind, she felt Marie stir and lift her head, like a predator sensing prey,  


* * *

  
"Lo-...gan"

She tried his name on her lips and even that was familiar. She wondered if perhaps she was losing herself to Marie, if they would share the body equally again or she would be pushed down into the back of their mind.

The man before her was nodding slowly, "Carol Danvers?" he asked softly and she nodded.

"Yes...sorry"

He ignored her then, taking her gloved hand in his own covered hand again,

"Come on, Storm's office"

She tried to protest as he dragged her through the halls, barging into a well-lit sumptuously decorated room, where several people were seated.

All such intimate strangers to her, they each eyed her curiously.

She hated them all, she knew they were waiting to have their precious Marie returned to them, not caring about the life that had been taken.

Her life.

She hated them yet she loved them all, none more so than the man sitting her on the couch, next to the Asian girl and the giant Russian. He settled down at her feet, crossing his arms, when the African-American woman-  
_  
'Storm' _A distinctive southern voice supplied-

Opened her mouth to speak, Logan shook his head, "Scott's coming, give him a minute"

* * *

He rushed in a second later, startling everyone when he looked to Logan,  
"_Are you totally in-_"

"Can it Summers...she'll be fine"

Once again, all eyes were on Carol, or rather Marie's body...which was inhabited by Carol. She blushed and wondered what they expected her to do, go insane at any minute?

She'd already run several tests herself, she was quite sane,

Or as sane as she could be given the circumstances.

Scott- who Carol already liked on account of his polite treatment of her- huffed and stalked across the room to lean against the wall.

"Righto" Jubilee announced,

"Now that we're all, all here- what the hell are we gonna do about Magsy?"

"Well" the deep voiced man beside Carol spoke up,

"For starters, we're going to _stop_ calling him Magsy"

They laughed then, part of the tension broken and Carol could only marvel.

Only heroes could laugh in the face of danger, she felt slightly awed by their bravery.

She didn't realise they were only showing bravery because they knew that for some, or maybe every person in this room, it may be the final emotion they would show.

* * *

A mobile phone rang suddenly; Doctor McCoy answered and spoke quietly. While they waited with baited breath, Logan leaned backward, resting his back and head against her legs.

Startled, Carol unthinkingly reached out and pressed her hand to his hair, enjoying the feel of his dark, soft locks. She felt dizzy as memories of tender passion rushed through her again; Marie was creeping closer now, reaching the forefront of their mind.

When Hank McCoy finished, he hung up and turned to them,

"We've had word from Trask, Raven Darkholme and Victor Creed have been spotted breaking into an old science facility in downtown New York...they haven't moved against them as yet. Magneto does not appear to be with them, but they had an unconscious prisoner that has been identified..."

He paused and looked uncomfortable; "I'm sorry to say they have Robert"

He didn't give his full name, but everyone knew which Robert.

Even Carol Danvers knew which Robert he was referring to, inside her head Marie howled with fury.

Some of that pain must have shown on her face, for Doctor McCoy came forward to take her hands, lifting them from Logan's hair,

"I'm fine. _What're we gonna do to get him back?_"

She'd spoken but she'd heard the faint echo and the odd shaping of her mouth, these uncomfortable feelings meant only one thing.

She and Marie were speaking in unison once more.

"You sure you wanna be a part of this?"

She looked down to Logan, his face turned up to hers.

"You're not Marie...you don't owe us anything...this ain't your battle"

Biting her lip she leant down, placing the back of her hand against his cheek,

"No, but it's likely that I'll come to care for you all one day...and I want to have that chance. _Fuck you Logan, I'll fight if I wanna and I can't abandon Bobby, not again!_"

"Aww" Jubilee put a careful arm about her shoulders, "That was so sweet chica. You still have Rougey's powers right?"

Carol looked about the room and grinned her own smile,

"_Of course._ Even if I don't, you reckon flying and invulnerability will suffice?"

* * *

A/N- Yeah there's gonna be a battle apparently, I'll have to figure out when, were, how and why but as soon as I do. You'll figure it out.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N- Sorry for the delay, hopefully this will make up for it.

* * *

Jubilee had never been more nervous in her life.

She was perched on the edge of her leather seat in the Blackbird, casting her eyes from the cockpit where Logan and Storm were guiding the jet through the inky night, to the bridge where Carol/Marie was fidgeting with her X-suit, rolling her shoulders and playing with the zipper and where Scott and Hank McCoy had their heads bent together, whispering. The row of seats in front of her held Colossus and her ex-girlfriend, whose name she had trouble thinking of without crying. That same girl kept turning her head to look at her over the seats every few minutes or so and throw her a comforting smile.

When it got too much, Jubilee jumped to her feet and strode to the makeshift med area at the back of the jet, wishing she could be one of those teens who knew the difference between Valium and Vicodin, and how to take them without endangering her life.

Cause she was about to do that without the slightest bit of help from medication.

Opening the miniature fridge, she grabbed a small bottle of water and unscrewed the lid, hoping to quench her thirst without filling her bladder. An image swam before her mind, the X-Men and Brotherhood going head to head in the old science facility and her calling time- like in a hockey game- to go behind a bush and pee.

She gave a hysterical giggle, and brought the water to her lips, taking a quick gulp.

She threw her head back and swallowed, nearly choking when she felt hands slide around her waist,

"Just take deep breaths and remember every scenario Logan ever put us through" Katherine Pryde whispered into her ear, her stomach pressing against Jubilee's back,

"You'll be fine...you're ready for this...we all are"

"Yeah" Jubilee ground through her clenched teeth, "After everything you've done, stabbing someone like Sabretooth in the back should be a breeze for you"

She hissed as Kitty tensed, her fingers digging into Jubilee's waist,

"When this night finally ends..." Kitty's words tickled the hair around Jubilee's ear,

"You and I are going to sit down and talk"

With that she released her and stormed back to her seat beside Piotr,

"Don't hold your breath" Jubilee muttered, taking another sip of water and, in spite of herself, picturing all the training she had done with the X-Men in her mind.

* * *

The flight ended all too soon, they ducked beneath the cloud night cover, seeing the lights of downtown New York and the people rushing about their ordinary lives. Many of them would never have to face the troubles that she was about to face, they lived their entire lives with wonderful normality, without any worries bigger than dates and work duties.

She wondered if that had ever been an option for her. If at one point she had seen the path travelled by the majority and wittingly chosen not to take it or had been destined to be an X-Man from the moment her mutation became apparent?

Stretching in her seat to look out the window, she imagined herself walking along the concrete paths that millions of New Yorkers walked every day.

She could be heading home from a day of school or work, maybe to a family, maybe to friends or a partner. She'd be carrying a bag full of books or groceries and the only things on her mind would be dinner or a television show.

Funnily enough, though she knew she might be about to die- though she could see, feel and taste her alternate life with startling clarity...  
She wouldn't trade what she had right now for anything.

* * *

The Blackbird touched down in an empty park in a rough part of town, with dead grass, broken swings and graffiti. Two kids sat on a park bench under a flickering light, though the jet was covered in a camouflage net and shielded with telepathic senses, Logan reassured them with a single sniff that the kids were likely too stoned to be of any concern.

They still rotated the jet to ensure that the exit ramp would face the opposite direction to the stoners; they weren't willing to take any risks. In the park anyway.

"Right" Storm breathed as the ramp began to unfold, after everyone had realised Scott wasn't about to talk.

"Remember everyone, I don't want you doing anything rash or stupid...yes, Logan that includes _you_"

Jubilee smirked as Logan huffed and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall to be joined by Carol/Marie. Storm rolled her eyes and continued,

"As far as our jammed sensors have picked up there are three people registering body heat in that building. Right now we're assuming one of them is Robert Drake..."

Jubilee was about to pipe up and ask who that was before her mind replaced _Robert Drake_ with _Bobby_. She couldn't remember another time that she'd ever heard him referred to by his real name, it had always been Bobby, Iceman or- if the Wolverine was calling him, a variety of names verging on insulting, Popsicle, Ice-cream. She wondered if Storm was trying to de-sensitize them from the terrible fact that their former team-mate was at the hands of their enemies.

Come to think of it, she didn't want to think of Bobby at the mercy of Mystique and Sabretooth,

She'd much rather think of the retrievable object of the mission as a watch or an overdue library book.

The small insignificant items Wolverine always used in Danger Room sessions- items that couldn't die.

"Now, our primary objective is to get in with as little warning to them as possible. Logan. Scott. Carol...Piotr...I want you four to take on Sabretooth and Mystique, remembering not to let Mystique out of your eyesight as much as possible. We have to assume she can change forms again and she'll likely try to confuse you by doing so. Hank. Jubilee. Kitty, we're going to find Bobby and get him out of there back to the jet. Once we've done that we'll make a fast retreat and let the army take over..."

"Hey...the army?"

Everyone looked over to Carol/Marie, who was pressed up against Wolverine- whom Jubilee noticed didn't look one hundred percent comfortable with the situation. Storm nodded,

"Yes, why?"

"Eric seems to think they're gonna rain cure darts on every square inch of the building"

'Eric?!' Jubilee twisted her mouth; she'd never heard Rogue refer to one of her mentalities as a person before, certainly she'd never given personal credit to their opinions before. Nobody else seemed quite sure what to make of it either.

"That's why we plan to be the hell outta there when they move in" Logan explained, taking the opportunity to shift his body away from her.

She shrugged, "Okay, as long as they don't jump the gun or nothing...I get shot with the cure, there's no telling who you guys might have to deal with when this body comes round"

Carol/Marie finished her sentence by sliding closer to Wolverine again, obviously not getting the hint that every other person in the jet was getting. Making everything super awkward for Jubilee, she wondered if it counted as another girl hitting on her best friend's boyfriend if that girl was in Rogue's body?

That was a problem to deal with another time. Like thirty seconds after she made it back to the jet.

She didn't know that before going into battle, generals would suggest their troops make plans afterwards.

Because believing you were going to make it was half the battle.

* * *

They approached the building in teams, maintaining as much comm. silence as possible. Scott, Wolverine, Carol and Piotr were the first wave into the old science facility. From behind a parked car, Jubilee watched as Wolverine and Scott approached the side of the building, ignoring the large unloading entrance doors in favour of the wall. With a quick flick of the wrist to his goggles, Scott unleashed his optic beams and blew an eleven foot hole in the wall.

Jubilee hoped that anyone in the surrounding area had been evacuated.

With a tremendous roar, Wolverine unsheathed his claws and leapt into the building, followed immediately by Carol and Piotr. Scott lingered long enough to take a quick check of the building, then he raised his arms to Storm and gestured.

"Right" Storm was between Jubilee and Kitty, Hank crouched behind her. "Sabretooth and Mystique aren't alone, there's maybe four more people in there, they're mutants but not fighting...come on!"

Jubilee felt strangely detached as she ran beside Hank and Kitty through the gaping hole, into the dimly lit facility. She was able to notice crude lab equipment...and blood.

Lots and lots of blood.

Her stomach turned and she wanted to throw up, she heard gunfire and automatically ducked, turning towards the sound to find four unfamiliar mutants standing by numerous crates, not attacking, but refusing to let Carol/Marie near their cargo. Her heart went into her mouth as she saw Rogue get mown down with bullets, Logan who'd been locked in battle with Mystique, looked up distracted and cried Marie's name. But it was as if bullets meant nothing to Carol/Marie, she simply bent her knees and jumped, making it a good fifteen feet in the air, gripping onto the roof beams. She hung there for a moment, then closed her eyes and dropped...

Making an eardrum popping noise as she landed on the crates, wood chips and glass flying everywhere. Jubilee felt a tug on her arm and saw Kitty leading her in the same direction as the blood, her feet slipping in the red liquid. The path led them to a partially opened door, into a darkened room filled with dozens of differently sized cages, likely once used for animals.

Now holding a young, naked, shivering Robert Drake.

Covered in dry blood.

* * *

The cage was powered with an electro-magnetic force field, something Shadowcat couldn't phase through without causing herself serious damage. However, Sabretooth and Mystique hadn't known about Jubilee. Holding out her hand, Jubilee felt her power singing along her veins and the sparks explode from her fingers, short-circuiting the entire cage. The door was easy to open, letting Kitty and Jubilee slide in to kneel either side of their comrade.

"Bobby...it's me, Kitty" Jubilee watched as Kitty slipped Bobby's arm over her shoulders,

"We're getting you out of here, okay?"

"Magneto"

Jubilee and Kitty whirled around, leaping to their feet and standing back to back, looking around for the infamous mutant. The sounds of battle penetrated the room and when the sound of gunfire shocked Kitty, she lost her footing and fell on the slippery floor.

"Magneto" Bobby repeated, wrapping his arms about his knees and swaying frantically. Jubilee felt a growing frustration as Wolverine's triumphant yell reverberated through her comm. device,

"_Where_, Bobby?" she cried, "Where is Magneto?"

He pounded his head with his fists and grunted in impotent fury,

"MAG...NE...TO!"

He yelled this, throwing his arm out and pointing at the cage floor...

And suddenly Jubilee understood why the floor was slippery.

So did Kitty, who shrieked and grabbed onto Jubilee's arm, nearly pulling her down with her.

"Okay...calm down, chica...just _calm down_!" Jubilee struggled to stay on her feet, never mind pull Kitty to hers. From the waist down Shadowcat's X-suit was covered in the remains of Magneto.

"Oh no!" Kitty threw herself into Jubilee's arms, sobbing with disgust. Jubilee gave her a quick hug, careful to keep her own suit away from the blood, even as she heard more gunfire.

Then there was a resounding crash and Jubilee released Kitty, turning around just in time to receive a punch to the face from a blue-scaled man.

"Fucking human loving bitch!" he screamed, as she reeled back, blood pouring from her broken nose. He pulled back his fist, clearly aiming to throw another punch when he froze. Turning pale he looked down to his waist where a large lump had formed,

"Hey"

Standing on her tip-toes, Kitty appeared over the man's shoulder, grinning cruelly,

"Never..._ever_...hit somebody I love" she hissed into his ear, before yanking her hand back whilst it still held his genitals.

The mutants eyes rolled and he fell to the floor in a dead faint, causing the blood to splatter. Jubilee looked up to Kitty to find her glaring at the cage with new determination.

"We're so fucking outta here" she announced, bending down and sliding under Bobby's arm,

"Jubes, help me with Bobby"

Mimicking Kitty, Jubilee took Bobby's right side and together they lifted him to his feet, half-walking, half-dragging him from the cage, into the facility.

The scene was dramatically different from when they had left. Large chunks were missing in the wall, splinters of wood and shards of glass littered the floor, the crude lab was unfixable...

And there wasn't an X-Man in sight.

Sabretooth and Mystique lay unconscious on the floor; he sprawled over the remnants of the crates, she lying on the floor. The other mutants had scattered...and there was the sound of a siren in the air.  
Many sirens...  
Approaching quickly...

* * *

Kitty and Jubilee both screamed as a parachute filled with darts was fired into the factory, diving for cover as those dangerous needles rained to the ground. The three of them took cover under the table, scrambling to ensure no part of their body was exposed.

_"Ceasefire! We've got people in there!"_

They heard Wolverine screaming over their comm. devices but he was clearly ignored, because three more parachutes were fired into the building, this time, one of the needles landing an inch from Bobby Drakes bare foot. In his fragile state of mind he panicked and turned to his ice form, causing Jubilee and Kitty to release him, for fear of hyperthermia.

_"Jubilation...Katherine"_ Hank's voice reached them over their devices,

_"Can you two get out of there safely?"  
_  
Kitty shook her head, "We have Bobby with us...and there's no cover out"

"Yeah there is"

Jubilee took her eyes of Kitty, to see Bobby giving her a shadow of his former grin. Carefully he slid over to the edge of the table cover, tilting his head to see the hole in the wall where the cure needle parachutes were being angled and fired from.

"Right," he announced, turning back to the girls and, for just one moment, looking like the old Bobby Drake again.

"I think I can make an ice wall to block the army's firing line...but the moment I do we'll have to make a run for it, because I reckon they'll try and land a few grenades on the wall the moment they see it happening. I can't create the ice fast enough to deal with heavy fire"

"Just give us the time" Jubilee told him,

"We can run as fast as you need us to, though Kitty...I reckon that front door would have been bolted, you may need to phase us through it...worst case scenario I can fry maybe a few of the parachutes before they open"

They all nodded once in concord, and then Kitty relayed the plan back to the X-men.

_"We're doing all we can for you outside Katherine, dear"_ Hank assured them,

_"Wolverine and Rogue have already made scrap metal out of a few of the cannons"_

They all took a deep breath and both girls crouched beside Bobby, their arms just hovering under him, ready to carry him and run when the moment came.

Jubilee watched as Iceman closed his eyes, his entire body still encased in ice, but seeming to colder and more opaque in seconds. She had a quick mental image of Bobby turning into Frosty the Snowman and had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Slowly raising his arm towards the gaping hole, where even more parachutes seemed to be flying through, the ice burst so quickly from his hands that both Jubilee and Kitty jumped. It hit the edges of the brick wall, coating it in several layers before it began to move towards the centre, moving slowly but compensating for speed with thickness. When there was only a metre hole left, Bobby faltered, reverting back into his organic state,

"Sorry" he whispered as Jubilee and Kitty snapped into action, dragging Bobby from underneath the table and supporting him as they began running to the large metal doors, behind them they heard the horrifying sound of gunfire and the ice cracking. It sounded like glass when it hit the floor and Jubilee realised they were out of time.

"Hold on tight!" Kitty cried out to them, and instinctively Jubilee gripped Bobby harder...

And the next moment everything went dark.

* * *

A/N- Let me know your opinions.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N- Penny drops

* * *

Logan looked across to his left as Rogue rose into the air and grabbed the cannon just as it fired another round. His heart stopped beating as the parachute containing the cure darts rammed into her stomach and opened, spraying her across the face and neck with millions of tiny needles...

Except that it wasn't Marie who was getting hit.

It was Carol Danvers,

The needles broke the moment they touched her skin and the impact did nothing more than wind her for a moment.

She, on the other hand, lifted the entire machine into the air and brought it back down to the road with enough force to shatter it.

Raising his claws, Logan absentmindedly swiped at an abuse-yelling soldier, cutting his gun in half. Storm was busy setting down mini tornados in various positions along the street, making it harder for more troops to arrive, Scott was frightening off any jets with his random beams and Hank was on the phone in the jet with Piotr, arguing furiously with the President to try and stop more men being needlessly sent in. Mystique and

Sabretooth had already been taken care of,

Why were they being so aggressive?

Logan had a couple of theories but now was not the time to voice them.

* * *

A distant roar over the horizon warned Logan that more jets, more troops and more bloodshed was on the way. They needed to get out- now.

His intuition spiked and he turned to face the warehouse, receiving several bullets in the back and giving the soldiers the chance to advance further into the fray.

That didn't matter though, because at that moment, Kitty, Jubilee and Bobby materialised from the road, looking bloody and the worse for wear.

Jubilee and Bobby were disorientated and staggered, nearly falling sideways. When his torn flesh had healed, Logan hurried forward, creating a shield for the exhausted Kitty.

Taking out one last tank, Carol dive-bombed several soldiers, cutting off the rain of bullets showering down on the X-Men. She caught Kitty as she fell to the ground in a dead faint, Logan throwing Bobby over his shoulder and turning to Jubilee,

"Yeah I'm totally fine" she promised him, clearly lying through her teeth but her sheer bravery had Logan grinning ruefully. Beside him, Carol was looking for inward for instruction,

"Eric thinks we should flee" she announced, as though delivering the Word of God.

Though Logan wanted to snap, to announce that Hell would be enjoying sub-zero temperatures before he took the advice of Magneto, even the faint psyche that rambled around in Marie's head... But he thought of yelling at Marie made him flinch.

Even if it wasn't her.

* * *

It wasn't like they had the time to be standing around arguing anyway. One thing Xavier had stressed to alpha pupils like Shadowcat, Colossus, Rogue, Storm and Scott was never to exhaust yourself when using your power, or to use it for too long.

Otherwise they run the chance of losing control.

Wolverine could see it happening now, Cyclops' aim with his laser-beams was becoming wilder, he was having trouble keeping his attack close enough to the jets to scare them but far enough to avoid harm. Storm was shaking with the effort to not unleash her full powers and rain hell down upon their heads.

"Time to leave!" Logan shouted into the comm. links,

"Everyone back to the Bird, Hank or Colossus prep it to fly"

"Good idea" Carol muttered as she shifted Kitty in her arms and took to the air, hovering high enough that she took a large amount of the gunfire aimed at their backs.

Scott and Storm were the last aboard, struggling to make it up the shifting ramp, both breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Piotr and Hank hurried forward and helped them to the seats, as Carol and Wolverine lay Kitty and Bobby down in the makeshift med centre.

Wolverine left Carol overlooking them as he went to the controls, knowing they'd be on high alert until they made it back to the mansion.

He had to hope that the brass would have the sense not to send a strike force against the school again.

Especially with his potential daughter inside.

Though she had better chance than most of surviving shellfire.

* * *

Settling down in the pilot's seat, he looked to the radar as they sped through the inky black sky, relief flooding through him when he realised that they weren't being tailed. Setting the controls to autopilot, he leant back against the seat and allowed himself to relax.

Unfortunately, Carol chose that moment to appear from nowhere and fling herself onto his lap. Around them, the X-Men tensed and pretended not to notice, but Logan heard Jubilee cursing up a blue stream under her breath, using words he hadn't realised she knew.

Carol stroked the back of Logan's neck and he squirmed with discomfort, recognising it as Marie's body but her actions were so alien from the Marie he knew and loved. She was panting slightly and the Wolverine in him remembered other times when he had seen Marie panting, that he had to struggle to squash that memory made him angry with himself.

"Whose Sam Brut?" she asked suddenly, her voice laden with confidence she hadn't shown before.

Logan resisted the urge to curl his lip, "Why?"

Carol shrugged Marie's petite shoulders, "Robbie Drake and I have been talking and apparently Sam was the one who revealed that I had been cheating on him with you"

"Marie never cheated on Bobby" Logan argued automatically, and then frowned, as in his mind's eye a jigsaw puzzle appeared, with a few pieces missing.

"He's also the one who told me that Marie was visiting Bobby at the asylum..."

Scott strode over, throwing an apologetic look to Jubilee,

"I saw him sneaking up the stairs holding a camera the night before _those_ pictures appeared"

Logan glanced around the cockpit and saw the concerned looks of his fellow X-Men as the heretofore ignored odd behaviour of Sam Brut suddenly took on sinister meaning.

"Perhaps" Storm mused, "We should have a talk with Sam when we get back"

Logan would have responded, but he had to concentrate on not swatting Carol away from him.

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

A/N- Sorry for the delay and for what happens in this chapter

* * *

Scott held out a hand for Carol as the Blackbird touched down in the hangar, the first flight was always tricky, and newcomers usually lost their footing when the jets powered down. As he'd presumed she staggered sideways and grabbed his hand for balance. She threw him a grateful smile and then turned her attention back to Logan- seeming worried that if she took her eyes off him long enough, he'd disappear.

Scott didn't blame her. He recognised the look the Wolverine was wearing now; he was certainly considering taking his bike and heading up to Canada as fast as he could.

Except he wouldn't be able to, because he hadn't even taken a step towards the descending ramp before Jubilee stumbled over and linked her arm through his own.

"Walk me home Wolvie?" she joked, batting her eyelashes at him ridiculously.

Surprisingly it worked, the tension in the jet was broken and everyone was chuckling at the odd image Wolverine and Jubilation Lee made.

"Come on" Storm wrapped her arm about the exhausted Kitty Pryde,

"Let's go to the med centre, give Logan and Jubes some privacy"

The two women headed across the hangar, Kitty with her eyes closed and her feet dragging against the metal floor. Hank returned to Bobby, to ensure he was well enough to be moved and Carol turned to Piotr,

"I don't know where my bedroom is," she began, pointedly ignoring the Wolverine now, and from what Scott could see, Logan clearly didn't know whether to be relieved or hurt,

"Could you show me?"

Piotr nodded, "Da...of cou-"

A loud clack echoed from the open doorway, a sound that was unnatural and confused all the X-Men still standing in the Blackbird,

All the X-Men except for the Wolverine.

Pushing Jubilee away from him, he leapt from the jet and began racing across the floor, but he wasn't fast enough.

* * *

Another sound was born, one that thundered through the underground level and stung the ears of all that heard it.

Carol moved faster but Scott understood sooner what it had meant.

Dimly he became aware of screaming, loud, hysterical and continuous. Just beyond the open doorway, the open doorway that wouldn't close now, that wouldn't hide the horror from his eyes.

Jubilee bumped into his shoulder as she hurried past him, Piotr's heavy steps shook the floor as he changed into his metal form, Hank was leaping and created a disorienting image of blurred blue.

Scott was the last through the door, but it didn't matter.

The blood had already created a large pool, visible even from where he stood.

Kitty's screams had died down; she was wrapped up in Jubilee and Carol's arms, cowering against the wall, shrinking from the hideous atrocity before her.

Ororo Munroe was dead.

In the middle of the hallway.

Still attired in her battle gear, still covered in sweat and dirt.

Her face fixed forevermore with a shocked expression.

Only the smallest of holes in the middle of her forehead to show how she had died.

* * *

Scott heard a strangled cry, that didn't surprise him. Hank and Piotr were kneeling by the body, the large Russian sobbing, but the cry wasn't from someone he knew as intimately as he knew his X-Men.

Wolverine held a young boy by the throat, against the wall opposite Kitty and her protectors. The young boy held a still smoking gun in his hand and a cruel grin on his face, one Scott would have expected from Mystique or Sabretooth,

Not from a student of Charles Xavier,

"Why?" Wolverine whispered, his voice deadly quiet, Scott took stance beside him, still in shock but as determined for answers as anyone there,

"Why?!" Wolverine hollered again, squeezing the murderer's throat tighter, causing little beads of sweat to run down his oily face,

"Because I wanted revenge" he muttered, averting his eyes from the rage in the faces of his enemies,

"Revenge...?" Scott stepped closer, catching his eyes, "For what? What wrong did Storm ever commit against you?"

"Not her" he sniped, "Her _boyfriend_ Piotr...and Jubilee and..." he glared at Logan and spat in his face,

"You!"

Wolverine growled, "I never crossed you...you were less than nothing to me"

"Exactly" the young boy howled, loud and hysterical now, "You ignored me! All of you ignored me, or treated me with disgust...not even because of  
my mutation...but because I wasn't talented or good-looking...you didn't even give me a chance when I tried out for the team. You, Jubilee and Rasputin just let your prejudices against me make up your minds"

"So?!" Scott shouted, the shock wearing off as he tried to make the connection between the boy's hurt and his crimes,

"You think that justifies everything you did? Lying to Bobby, taking pictures of Jubilee and Kitty, shooting Storm?"

The boy only bared his teeth, "I wanted revenge against them for judging me, the best way to hurt them was to hurt the people they loved. And I did more than take pictures..."

He leered at the trio against the wall and Kitty turned her face away, burying it in Jubilee's hair. Seeing this, the boy began to laugh,

"See...I'm important now! No-one's ever gonna forget what I did"

Hank grabbed Scott as he lunged at the boy, and as hard as Scott wrestled, he couldn't break free,

"What's your name?" he demanded of the young boy and had the pleasure of seeing the hurt on his face,

"Sam B-"

Scott cried out as he felt something cold fly over his shoulder, he just had time to register that it had grazed his cheek before it lodged itself in the mutant before him.

* * *

  
For a moment, he wondered wildly where someone had found a crystal disc before the boy's head came clean off his shoulders, landing onto the floor and rolling to Scott's feet.

He closed his eyes as the blood spurted up, splashing his face. Hank pulled him away and Wolverine joined them, retreating back to Storm's body.

Counting to five before opening his eyes, Scott Summers saw that the disc that had sought justice was already beginning to melt and mix with the warm blood, pouring from the exposed neck.

It was ice!

Bobby Drake came forward and stood before the stunned Wolverine.

"Maybe that can atone for my actions against you"

* * *

A/N- Ha ha ha!


End file.
